You August water bill is going up "big time”
Your water bill will increase 8.3% on average this coming August based on a changes in the water rate. This is the largest increase in Oro Valley history and was championed on a 5-1 vote (Greene voting: yes”; Bohen voting no; Barrett Absent) at the June 6 Oro Valley Town Council Meeting. The water rate increase is actually 7.9% but when sales and utility taxes are applied plus an approved increase in the water preservation fund fee, the net increase is 8.3%. (See: Sticker Shock)
While the council does nothing to reduce the use of drinking water on three recreational facilities
The Town Council is waiting for a miracle solution for the use of drinking water on one of the town's golf courses and two of the town's parks. The Council has wasted the opportunity to bring reclaimed water to those areas. Instead, the Council decided not to do anything about it. Are they waiting for some miracle solution to come from the State or the City of Tucson regarding further treating reclaimed water and introducing it into the Water system? Are they waiting for the state to engage in a massive project to bring desalinated water from Mexico into the State and distribute it through the CAP distribution system? Meanwhile, Pima County is transitioning recreation water use to reclaimed water
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Pima County Board Of Supervisors voted to "Transition of the irrigation system in Arthur Pack Park to reclaimed effluent irrigation and requested the County Administration to develop a plan for transitioning all County parks to reclaimed effluent irrigation." So, it looks as though the County has a plan while Oro Valley's Town Council "fiddles and diddles" and does nothing.
We don't know what this Council is waiting for, but we do know that they're not doing anything to eliminate the use of drinking water on town recreational properties, And while they fiddle, the cost of bringing reclaimed water to those facilities becomes more and more.
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The Town of Oro Valley continues to bury its head in the sand as almost 6.6 million gallons of potable water were wasted on town properties in June 2024. To break it down: the closed Pusch Ridge golf course used 2,894,000 gallons, Riverfront Park wasted 1,644,000 gallons, and Jim Kriegh Park used 2,060,000 gallons. The cost for the Pusch Ridge waste alone was $11,719.39. Do you really believe the income from disc golf covered this water cost?
In June 2023, water waste for these properties was 5,531,000 gallons. This year, the waste for June increased by over 1,000,000 gallons, rubbing this negligence in our faces.
What will it take for our town government to act responsibly?
The Community Center is still not ADA compliant, despite being owned since May 2015. Yet, the government established a splash pad (wanted by only 4% of the people) and a new BMX track (desired by just 1%). Meanwhile, the Oro Valley Little League has no fields other than the one at Coronado Middle School.
I am not alone in my concern over this water waste. While I may be at an age where this irresponsibility won't affect me directly, what about our grandchildren? How will we explain to them that drinking water must be rationed because of the irresponsible priorities set by our government in 2024?
Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
I am not alone in my concern over this water waste. While I may be at an age where this irresponsibility won't affect me directly, what about our grandchildren? How will we explain to them that drinking water must be rationed because of the irresponsible priorities set by our government in 2024?
Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
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