This past December, a volunteer citizens’ committee, in conjunction with a large, multi-disciplinary array of city and county staff members, wrapped up a 20-month study of the water and wastewater resources of the city and county; the goal was to “develop a common understanding of the basic facts and critical factors related to planning for a sustainable water future.”

It was completed in two phases, resulting in two documents—the first, an inventory of water and wastewater resources currently held by the city and county; the second, a set of principles and policies to help us become more sustainable in the management of water.

At a joint meeting of the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the Tucson City Council, on Jan. 12, the supervisors voted 4-1 to adopt the recommendations of the Phase II report. The City Council, however, voted to wait another 30 days because of concerns that they were not given sufficient time to review the report, whether stakeholder input had been sufficient, and about the content of the report.

These concerns were completely unfounded.

The final Phase II report had been available since mid-December, and the report itself was the culmination of 12 public meetings where staff presented technical reports, and the committee drafted its portion of the report. All of those meetings were recorded, with video, audio and written records available to the public. Phases I and II of the study were limited to the jurisdictional areas of Tucson Water and Pima County Wastewater; no other jurisdictions were part of the study, but they were free to provide input at meetings or by submitting written comments, which some did.

This is an important study for the Tucson region because of what it proposes for growth policies. In the past, we have largely reacted to growth as it occurred. As proposed in the Phase II report, proper planning for growth can protect our existing water supplies, limit the need for costly new water supplies and protect the environment.

We are quickly approaching a time in the Southwest when finding sufficient water for new growth is going to get much more difficult. And when water is found, its cost will greatly surpass what we currently pay. On top of this, there is uncertainty about our current water supplies because of factors outside our local control: climate change and increasing demand for water in the Colorado River basin, where most of our water currently comes from. To address this, the report calls for looking further into the use of local, renewable water supplies, i.e., effluent and rainwater, to replace many current uses of potable water, like outdoor irrigation. This allows us to conserve potable water supplies for essential human uses.

We also must allocate water for the environment. Historically, the environment has been viewed more as a supplier of water than a user. But as we have seen nearly all riparian ecosystems in the Tucson basin altered or eliminated by our ever-increasing thirst, the environment has inevitably been sacrificed at the altar of growth. Viewing this as an either-or issue has caused us to miss opportunities to accommodate both the environment and the economy for the overall good of the community. The Phase II report outlines a series of policy changes that can promote allocation of water necessary for the environment without compromising our ability to support continued growth. Our overall quality of life depends on changes like this.

If you believe the city of Tucson should follow through on the recommendations of the Phase II report and pursue more sustainable water policies, please contact the mayor and council prior to Wednesday, Feb. 17, or attend the public hearing at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9, to encourage the mayor and council to support the recommendations in the Phase II report. Additionally, the council should be encouraged to continue supporting the process they initiated by promoting the creation of a regional body (as called for in the scope for Phase III of the study) to implement a broad, regional stakeholder process that will seek to apply similar principles of sustainable water management throughout our region.

Comments may be submitted to the mayor and council at cms3.tucsonaz.gov/mcc or by going to the water study Web site (where reports can also be downloaded): www.tucsonpimawaterstudy.com.

Jim Barry, Chris Brooks and Bonnie Poulos were members of the citizen’s oversight committee on the City/County Water Study.

This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2010.

2 replies on “Guest Opinion”

  1. I am a resident of Santa Cruz County who lives in the Santa Cruz County Active Management Area (SCAMA), adjacent to and south of the Tucson Active Management Area (TAMA).

    SCAMA’s southern border is also the US-Mexican border, where the Santa Cruz River flows into our county and AMA. Based on this flow and additional tributaries from the mountains, we are required to ensure that the water outflow from SCAMA to the TAMA is greater than the inflow. We are required to ensure we sustain our water resources. SCAMA is the ONLY AMA in Arizona that is sustaining its water resources.

    The SCAMA must sustain its water resources IF the TAMA can have an assured water supply from the Santa Cruz River. No one debates this requirement.

    As stated in the “2005 Santa Cruz County Comprehensive Plan” on pages 61 and 62, a population growth of some 31,000 people will put Santa Cruz County at the point where we will not be able to sustain our water resources. This has put a “natural” limit on a sustainable population capacity for this part of Santa Cruz County within the SCAMA boundary, over 90% of the county’s population.

    This realistic and mandated “limit” is critical for long-term growth planning, in particular for the determination of other infrastructure requirements, such as for development, utilities, transportation, schools and other public services.

    I am VERY concerned that our northern neighbor is NOT maintaining its water resources in a responsible manner. The Water Infrastructure, Supply and Planning Study, created by the best team possible, needs to be implemented in a manner that controls water resources, in particular, by setting sustainability limits on growth in both residential and business sectors.

    Personally, I have intervened in an ongoing water rate case for the Arizona-American Water Company, the largest water company in our state, before the Corporation Commission. I proposed using a steep, multi-tier rate schedule with very low rates for the lowest consumers and very high rates for the highest consumers of water with ten rate tiers. The lowest residential rates, for the first 4,000 gallons, is $1.50/1000 gallons, that increases at $0.50/1000 gallons in 4,000 gallon steps, to $6.00/1000 gallons for those who consume over 36,000 gallons. The lowest rate is adequate for low income families, such as those on fixed incomes, while the highest rates will send a clear “price signal” to those who use excessive water. The ten steps permit a consumer to be able to see how to lower their water bill. Similar conservation-oriented schedules must also send price signals to the business community. Water should never be considered as “free”.

    Furthermore, the largest water consumers should NOT be allowed to use groundwater but have easier access to CAP water, in particular, the local copper mines. They are in business and installation of an infrastructure to permit this should be encouraged, as their pumping of groundwater must cease. In fact, I proposed one Alternative in the ongoing Environmental Impact Statement for the Rosemont Copper Mine to require that mine to use only CAP water for its production activities.

    Our groundwater tables must be sustained and used for local consumption; not for large commercial enterprises, it’s way to valuable.

    We in Santa Cruz County fully support this kind of Study that lays out hard choices about our future. These decisions must be made for long-term planning and not for today’s economic benefits.

    Thank you for an opportunity to provide an input to your Study, the most important planning mechanism to sustain the wonderful City of Tucson and Pima County.

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