Buckeye
Buckeye, AZ water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
city of buckeye - valencia town division
groundwater (wells) · private · PWSID AZ0407078
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Buckeye, AZ is a small but growing city, with a population near 50,876 and the 26th-largest community in Arizona. Like much of Arizona, Buckeye draws its water primarily from Colorado River, groundwater, and Salt & Verde rivers.
Buckeye's water outlook is shaped most by colorado river — the issue that dominates planning across Arizona. A national leader in reuse — Scottsdale has demonstrated direct potable reuse — even as Colorado River cuts and groundwater limits constrain growth around Phoenix.
Buckeye sits in a state that reuses roughly 52% of treated wastewater (developing programs) and currently experiences moderate to severe drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Arizona state water profile and the related issues below.
Maricopa County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~50,876 (26th-largest in Arizona)
- Primary sources: Colorado River, groundwater, and Salt & Verde rivers
- Drought: moderate to severe conditions
- State reuse rate: ~52% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Arizona in severe+ drought (Severe (D2) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Buckeye?
Buckeye's largest water system, CITY OF BUCKEYE - VALENCIA TOWN DIVISION, serves about 30,377 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Buckeye get its water?
CITY OF BUCKEYE - VALENCIA TOWN DIVISION draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of Arizona's supply from Colorado River, groundwater, Salt & Verde rivers.
Related water issues
Colorado River
The river that supplies 40 million people has lost roughly a fifth of its flow since 2000, forcing a renegotiation of how seven states share the water.
ExploreGroundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExplorePotable Reuse
Advanced purification turns treated wastewater into water that meets or exceeds drinking-water standards — increasingly essential in water-stressed regions.
ExploreDrought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
Explore