Bullhead City puts out-of-boundary water systems up for auction
Bullhead City, Arizona · Meeting date: October 20, 2026 · Published: October 21, 2026
Bullhead City Council has approved a US$2.3 million minimum bid and public auction process for the Camp Mojave and Rio Vista water-system assets. The move follows the city’s acquisition of the systems as part of its EPCOR transaction and reflects its stated intention not to operate water infrastructure in Fort Mojave.
Key points
- Council unanimously approved a US$2.3 million minimum bid and solicitation process for the Camp Mojave and Rio Vista systems.
- The assets were acquired as part of Bullhead City’s EPCOR purchase but lie outside city limits and are managed by the Mojave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District.
- Camp Mojave includes a well, reservoir, treatment equipment, booster pumps, distribution mains and meters; Rio Vista comprises distribution mains, meters and customer services.
- The sale excludes water rights, which the Mojave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District controls for the area south of the city’s southern border.
- Any buyer that is a private water company would require Arizona Corporation Commission approval to complete the acquisition.
Full report
Bullhead City Council has authorised a public solicitation and auction for the Camp Mojave and Rio Vista water-system assets, setting a minimum bid of US$2.3 million as the city moves to exit utility operations outside its boundaries.
The council approved the measure 6-0 on 20 October. Utilities director Mark Clark said the two small systems were acquired through the city’s purchase of EPCOR assets, but that Bullhead City’s utility focus is on infrastructure within its own limits. The assets are in Fort Mojave and are managed by the Mojave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District.
City manager Toby Cotter said the city had sought to separate out assets extending as far south as the I-40 during the EPCOR transaction, but could not exclude the Fort Mojave systems because they formed part of one of the acquired systems. “The city has no interest in maintaining those water assets long-term,” he said.
The Camp Mojave system covers roughly half a square mile, extending from Camp Mojave to El Rodeo and west from the highway towards tribal land. Its assets include a well, reservoir, treatment equipment, booster pumps, distribution mains and meters. Rio Vista runs from Camp Mojave to El Rodeo and between Mountain View and Caladamia; Bullhead City owns pipes, meters and customer services there, while purchasing all water delivered to Rio Vista customers from Bermuda Water.
Clark said the US$2.3 million floor was based on comparable transactions, including Nexus American Water’s sale of assets to American Water, as well as the allocation of values from Bullhead City’s EPCOR acquisition. The city did not commission an appraisal. He said the depreciated physical-asset value was not necessarily the market value, and that the Arizona Corporation Commission would compare a prospective private buyer’s purchase price with other water-asset sales in the state.
The transaction will not convey water rights. Clark said the Mojave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District owns and controls water rights for the area south of Sterling, Bullhead City’s southern boundary.
The city will hold the auction in council chambers after publishing and posting the solicitation. If no bidder meets the minimum price, Bullhead City will retain ownership. Cotter said staff would return to council after a sale to recommend how to use the proceeds, noting that the utility has borrowed about US$10 million from the city’s general fund during its first five years of operation.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Regular City Council Meeting - Oct 20, 2026, Bullhead City