Tucson NewsNet Daily Digest - A Service of the City of Tucson
TUCSON WATER PREPARING FOR TEMPORARY CONVERSION TO GROUNDWATER SYSTEM - Tucson Water is preparing to temporarily convert to groundwater wells to provide water service to customers. The conversion will take place starting Friday, Oct. 2, and is scheduled to continue until Wednesday, Nov. 7. The change in water sources is a result of a scheduled maintenance shutdown of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) system, which is used to deliver renewable Colorado River water supplies to the community. The temporary shutdown of the CAP system will not affect the ability of Tucson Water to deliver water. Tucson Water crews and contractors will also use this time to undertake inspections and conduct repairs to segments of the 96-inch pipeline running along Starr Pass Boulevard and San Marcos Boulevard. To prepare for the transition to groundwater wells, Tucson Water crews have been flushing inactive groundwater wells and some fire hydrants to clear any sediments, such as silt and sand particles, that may have accumulated in pipes over time. Customers are advised to flush their water lines at a spigot closest to their water meter if they detect dirty or milky water. If the problem persists, they are asked to contact Tucson Water’s Water Quality Customer Support Unit at (520) 791-5945 during normal business hours, or call the emergency line at (520) 791-4133 at all other times.
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Tucson Water
TUCSON FIRE DEPARTMENT AWARDED TWO FEDERAL GRANTS - The Tucson Fire Department (TFD) is the recipient of two major federal grants to help support its operations and improve service delivery to the residents and visitors of Tucson. The first award, a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, will provide $5.4 million over a three-year period to help with the payment of firefighter salaries and benefits. The second award is an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) of $1.38 million. That grant was awarded based on TFD's application to hold a 20-person paramedic training certification class, as the department needs to expand its numbers of paramedic firefighters to keep pace with increased service delivery demands. TFD currently has a staffing level of 632 firefighters serving the City of Tucson and surrounding areas from 22 strategically located fire stations.
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Tucson Fire Department
CENSUS DEADLINE IS NOW OCT. 5 - Despite a federal judge's ruling last week that the U.S. Census response deadline should be reinstated to Oct. 31, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said yesterday, Sept. 28, that the count will conclude on Oct. 5. The count previously was to end tomorrow, Sept. 30. Responses help determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and guide how nearly $700 billion in federal funding is spent in communities each year. It’s estimated up to $3,000 per person, per year is at stake for Arizona. The answers are kept anonymous and are used only to produce statistics.
U.S. Census 2020
COVID-19 TUESDAY UPDATE - As of today, Sept. 29, Arizona now has 218,184 positive coronavirus cases, with 675 new cases reported today (up from 273 yesterday). The total number of cases includes people who have recovered. Of that number, 25,569 cases are in Pima County (up 124 from yesterday). There have been 5,632 COVID-19 deaths in Arizona (9 reported today), and 621 of those occurred in Pima County (-1 reported today after a data revision). Meanwhile, the City of Tucson maintains an up-to-date COVID-19 website (link below) that includes information for businesses, residents, and more. The site is updated as information evolves.
Data Dashboard from the Arizona Department of Health Services
City of Tucson COVID-19 website
TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS TO BE VIRTUAL NEXT YEAR - The 2021 Tucson Festival of Books (TFOB) will be completely virtual March 6-7, 2021. Events will include free, live author sessions for kids and adults, and there will be some sessions available on demand. This year's TFOB in March was canceled due to the coronavirus, and organizers say it's best to avoid big crowds again next year.
From "This is Tucson" in the Arizona Daily Star
Tucson Festival of Books
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