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 1. Barn Owl, Dan Weisz 2. Green Heron, Ian Adrian 3. Red-winged Blackbird, Michael Weiss 4. Vermillion Flycatcher, Deborah Laferty 5. Verdin, Robb Scott
Look Who’s Flocking to
Sweetwater Wetlands
Sweetwater Wetland’s 18 acres of cattail marshes, open-water ponds, and mature cottonwoods and willows attract both human and non-human visitors. The park’s top yearly visitor groups include more than 250 species of native and migrating birds and more than 4,000 birdwatchers.
Tucson Water constructed Sweetwater Wetlands in 1996 to filter backwash water from our reclaimed water treatment plant naturally. The water from the wetlands ends up in the adjoining Sweetwater Recharge Facility for storage in the aquifer. The utility has continued to invest in the park’s amenities to create a unique desert oasis that appeals to birders, walkers, photographers, school groups, and more. Visitors enjoy 2.5 miles of walking paths including 1,000 feet of ADA-approved accessible concrete surface paths. Spacious viewing decks, shaded ramadas, free parking, bike racks, water bottle fill and hand wash stations, restrooms, and interpretive signs and kiosks welcome visitors to explore and relax.
The utility recently expanded its ongoing partnership with the Tucson Audubon* Society at Sweetwater. Staff member Alex Patia, the new on-site Sweetwater Wetlands Coordinator, greets visitors, leads Wednesday morning bird walks, and looks for ways to improve habitat for birds and accessibility for all. Ask him about what birds he has spotted lately!
*In May 2024, the Board of Directors of the Tucson Audubon Society voted to drop Audubon from the chapter name, with the goal to select a new brand name in the coming months.
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Sweetwater Info & Birding Tour Registration
Click here for directions, park hours, rules, amenities, and a downloadable Sweetwater Wetlands Bird Checklist. You’ll also find a link and info to preregister for weekly birding tours at Sweetwater and other birding events. Know before you go!
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 Gray Water Rebate: Qualify, Install, Conserve
Using gray water to irrigate your landscape can reduce the amount of drinking water used outdoors. This recycled water from clothes washers, bathtubs, showers, or bathroom sinks can save a typical household approximately 13,000 gallons of water per year!
Tucson Water customers can qualify to receive up to a $1,000 rebate to install a new gray water system or retrofit a system to work with your existing plumbing. For many homeowners without dual-plumbing, a laundry-to-landscape system is ideal, especially if the washer is along an exterior wall, or already outside. If you live in a home in the City of Tucson built after June 1, 2010, per the Gray Water Ordinance, it will be gray water-ready with dual-plumbing.
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City of Tucson
Environmental Services
 Schedule a Special
Brush & Bulky Visit
Are monsoons littering your yard with branches and debris? Is your next Brush and Bulky date not coming up soon? Request a special Brush and Bulky pickup! For a fee, the City’s Environmental Services team will pick up bulky trash and dispose of it. Click for more info.
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Pima County
Wastewater Reclamation
 Need help paying your sewer bill?
You may qualify for a 25%, 50% or 75% reduction to the wastewater portion of your monthly utility services statement. To qualify, you must be a residential sewer customer, have a sewer bill in your name and meet income requirements. Learn more about eligibility: call 520-791-5443 or click here.
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 Water Matters is a monthly newsletter brought to you by Tucson Water
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