A groundwater basin underneath northwest Arizona will soon be closely examined to see the effects of future pumping.

The Prescott City Council approved a million-dollar contract this week to model the water supply in Big Chino Sub-basin, which comes from the Verde River.

Prescott Water Resource Manager Leslie Graser says this is one more step to transporting more water into municipal areas, but only after the research is done to see how it would affect the surrounding environment.

"It really needs to be distinct that there’s been a shift, it’s not an engineering project right now, pipes and such, it’s now a scientific project,” Graser said.

The three-year project could ultimately lead to a plan for supplying more water for development growth in northwest Arizona.