City of Tucson Informational Update
on Economic Development Project Blue
The City of Tucson has been involved with regional partners on a proposed economic development opportunity called Project Blue. Project Blue, an example of a public-private partnership, would require some services from the region, including a reliable and sustainable water supply.
The City has evaluated Tucson Water’s ability to meet the water needs of Project Blue and has worked with the project developer on strategies, to not only meet the project’s needs with a renewable water supply via the reclaimed water system, but also on how the developer can offset the project’s water use by making investments in Tucson’s water security and making the project water positive. Water positive means a business returns more water to the environment or community than it uses across its operations, supporting long-term water sustainability and resilience.
Specifically, this project hinges upon the developer investing significant dollars to expand Tucson’s reclaimed water system and build additional recharge and recovery capacity. These investments would benefit not just Project Blue but also provide access to reclaimed water for existing and future users in Tucson’s southeast area – advancing these potential investments by at least a decade and saving local water rate payers millions of dollars in the process. This would build on the City’s commitment to water sustainability and security. This direction was given by our community in the One Water 2100 Plan which was adopted by Mayor and Council in 2023.
The City strives to attract economic investment and high-wage jobs, but the Mayor and Council have long-required that the benefits of significant economic development must not come at the expense of our region’s water security. The current concepts for Project Blue strike this balance.
While staff have been engaged in the initial stages of this project, it will not be scheduled to appear as an item before the Mayor and Council until later this year once all of the subsequent project planning steps are completed.
“Attracting significant economic investment and good-paying jobs to Tucson are two of my primary objectives as Mayor”, stated Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “Project Blue has the potential to do both of these things. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Council to evaluate Project Blue and take appropriate actions. My primary responsibility is to protect our water resources.”
Ward 4 Councilwoman Nikki Lee noted, “The southeast part of Tucson holds real potential for economic growth and investment. As a city, we have spent years planning for that growth, both inside our current boundaries and in areas that could be annexed. For me, the priorities are clear: we need to protect our water future and make smart choices that create economic opportunity while minimizing the impact on our neighbors. I am hopeful that Project Blue can rise to that challenge.”
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