Bret Jaspers/KJZZ

New River resident Don Reeves, pictured in 2017, and his wife Janet Curry are relieved a new water tap has opened in nearby Anthem, making the price of their water deliveries stable.

After more than a year of anxiety, residents of New River and Desert Hills north of Phoenix now have a place to fill up their water. A new tap opened late last month that serves water haulers who, in turn, serve New River and Desert Hills customers.

After the City of Phoenix announced last year that its taps would no longer be open to haulers serving those communities, residents were facing much higher prices for water hauled from stations in Scottsdale or Peoria. But because the new station is in nearby Anthem, the water stays cheap. The utility EPCOR is running the tap and selling the water.

Many residents in New River and Desert Hills have dry or semi-dry wells and need water hauled in.

MORE: New River Residents Want A Fix For Water And Development Troubles

“I think everyone was so, kind of, shaken to the core by this that now they understand this is just a short-term" solution, said Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates. Gates' District 3 includes New River and Desert Hills.

The initial term of the lease is 20 years.

To get a long-term solution, some New River and Desert Hills residents are trying to form a Domestic Water Improvement District, which they say will would allow them to negotiate with water providers like utilities and municipalities.