 Cultivating State and Federal Connections to Benefit Tucson
By working closely with regional, state, and federal governments, we keep an eye out for Tucson, our water supply, and, always, the best interests of our customers. At the same time, Tucson is helping develop lasting solutions to the critical water-related issues facing our state and the nation.
What happens outside of our water service area can have a large impact here. Our primary drinking water source, the Colorado River, travels hundreds of miles to get to your tap. Tucson Water monitors snow conditions, lake levels, and canal operations along the supply line. Similarly, Tucson Water and City representatives track committee meetings, legislation, votes, and decisions—in Washington DC and Phoenix—that impact the laws, policy decisions, and regulations we must follow.
At the federal level, we brief our US senators, congressional representatives, and staff members on water-related issues and strategies, discussing projects and programs to make our Colorado River water supply and our local water system more resilient.
Thanks, in great part, to ongoing legislative support from senators and representatives, Tucson is recognized as a national leader in addressing historical groundwater contamination from TCE and 1,4-dioxane (found near the Tucson International Airport) in addition to PFAS. We also work with the US Environmental Protection Agency to pursue additional federal funding and support to tackle groundwater contamination issues.
At the state level, the City officials work with the governor's office and state legislators on the development of Arizona water laws, policies, and funding programs. We coordinate with state agencies such as the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the multi-jurisdictional Central Arizona Project. And we monitor, analyze, and recommend positions on water-related bills at the state legislature and to our mayor and council. Several City officials serve on state and regional boards, commissions, and councils.
We are proud of Tucson's role in helping shape the state of Arizona's Drought Contingency Plan and support of the recent state legislation that provides over $1 billion to develop new water supplies and invest in water conservation. We also fought to increase the value of recycled water put into the Santa Cruz River to replenish our aquifers, making our popular Santa Cruz River Heritage Project feasible and sustainable.
Through proactive and creative collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies, we help to ensure that our desert home has strong sustainable water resources for the future.
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