Arizona seeks prospective bidders for ambitious water importation plan

• That demand could hit 100,000-500,000 acre-feet within the next 10-15 years, according to WIFA. 
• WIFA hopes to meet that demand with the water importation project, which could bring in as much as about 163 billion gallons of water annually. 

Threat level: The Colorado River basin has endured a "megadrought" for over two decades, the worst the region has experienced in roughly 1,200 years.

The big picture: WIFA has approximately $445 million allocated for long-term water augmentation, with 75% legally designated for out-of-state sources.

• The authority is talking with major water providers like cities and utilities that would be interested in obtaining that water. 

The latest: At a meeting on Tuesday, WIFA explained upcoming steps and timelines for prospective bidders. 

• Next month, it will begin vetting qualifications from entities that hope to submit proposals for potential projects. 
• The process of selecting qualified bidders and proposals, the first of three phases, is expected to wrap up next June.
• WIFA aims to complete the full process in 5-15 years, assistant director Chelsea McGuire told Axios.  

What they're saying: The state's water outlook is good for now, WIFA director Chuck Podolak said at the meeting's outset; but, "The history of Arizona water has been overplanning — planning and taking care of things before they become a crisis issue." 

The intrigue: WIFA was originally slated to have $1 billion to spend on new water sources, but budget cuts left it with a little under half that. 

• McGuire said WIFA is likely to ask lawmakers for additional funding at some point. 
• But for now, its only funding request for the upcoming legislative session is to simply not make any more cuts, she said.