Highlights
- SRP finished the Gilbert Road Pipeline project after five years of construction and more than a decade of planning.
- The system moves approximately 20,000 gallons of water per minute uphill to the Arizona Canal via 3.5 miles of 36-inch pipe.
- Scottsdale, Mesa, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, and Tempe co-operate the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project, which the pipeline feeds.
- Five new high-capacity production wells near Granite Reef are still being installed to complete the system.
SRP has finished the Gilbert Road Pipeline, a 3.5-mile infrastructure project five years in construction that will move approximately 20,000 gallons of water per minute from wells south of the Salt River to the Arizona Canal, the utility announced Wednesday. AZ Big Media and FOX 10 Phoenix both reported the completion.
The 36-inch pipeline crosses the Salt River channel suspended beneath Maricopa County Department of Transportation's Gilbert Road Bridge, which opened to traffic in early 2025. A separate section was installed using trenchless bore technology beneath the Beeline Highway before the line reaches its delivery point at the Arizona Canal.
The pipeline feeds the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project, one of the largest water-banking facilities in Arizona. SRP operates Granite Reef in partnership with the cities of Scottsdale, Mesa, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, and Tempe. The facility stores water underground and recovers it during periods of peak demand or drought.
Five new high-capacity production wells near Granite Reef are still being installed to complete the system.
"The Gilbert Road Pipeline project builds upon SRP's legacy of innovative water management and engineering excellence," SRP President Chris Dobson said in the announcement. "More than a decade in the making and completed after five years of construction, this transformative project reflects the long-term vision, strategic investment and collaboration required to meet central Arizona's future water needs."
MCDOT Director Jesse Gutierrez and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier, both partners in the project, also credited the multi-agency collaboration. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and MCDOT are cited as the project's primary partners alongside SRP.
Well installation near Granite Reef is ongoing; SRP has not announced a completion date for that phase.
Sources
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- aztechcouncil.org retrieved 09/09/2026 21:25
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 09/09/2026 21:25. Every claim traces to a source.
