Recent public discussion about water supplies in Green Valley and Sahuarita has raised important questions about groundwater levels, mining, data centers, growth, and the long-term sustainability of our regional water resources. Community Water Company of Green Valley welcomes those questions. Water is too important for the discussion to become reduced to headlines or broad assurances.
Community Water Company’s responsibility is clear. Our job is to provide safe, reliable, and sustainable water service to our members. We operate approximately 160 miles of water mains, multiple wells, storage facilities, treatment systems, pressure zones, and other infrastructure serving approximately 14,000 connections.
CWC plans for both present and future water needs. We maintain and replace infrastructure, monitor our wells, invest in treatment, plan new production facilities, and work to diversify our long-term water supply.
CWC also holds a Central Arizona Project municipal and industrial water allocation of 2,858 acre-feet per year. We continue working on the infrastructure and partnerships needed to put this renewable water resource to beneficial use. These efforts represent significant long-term investments intended to reduce reliance on groundwater.
An important distinction exists between the reliability of CWC’s water system and the condition of the regional aquifer.
CWC operates its water system and ensures reliable service to its members. The Arizona Department of Water Resources evaluates and manages groundwater conditions across the Tucson Active Management Area. This includes regional groundwater levels, groundwater withdrawals, recharge, water budgets, and progress toward the Tucson AMA safe-yield goal.
CWC does not claim southern Arizona has no groundwater challenges. Groundwater levels vary by location, and long-term groundwater management remains an important regional issue.
Questions about the effects of large groundwater users, including mines, new development, industrial facilities, and potential data centers, deserve factual answers based on water demand, supply sources, location, aquifer conditions, recharge, and applicable state requirements.
The effect of any proposed project cannot be determined solely from the type of development. For example, water use at a data center depends heavily on its cooling system, operating design, water source, and conservation practices. Mining impacts also depend on pumping locations, quantities, duration, mitigation measures, and hydrogeologic conditions.
Those regional questions require analysis beyond the boundaries and authority of any single water utility. CWC supports ADWR and other agencies with access to regional groundwater data to transparently evaluate those issues.
CWC will continue providing information about the conditions we directly observe within our own system. This includes well performance, water production, system demand, infrastructure needs, conservation efforts, and developing renewable water supplies.
Our members should also understand the distinction between short-term water delivery and long-term water-resource planning. A utility might have adequate wells, storage, treatment, and water rights to reliably serve its customers while the larger region continues working toward long-term groundwater sustainability. Both issues matter.
CWC has served this community for more than 50 years. We take our responsibility seriously. Our approach is to plan, invest in infrastructure, protect our existing water supplies, pursue renewable water resources, and provide our members with factual information.
We also believe regional groundwater questions deserve data-based answers rather than speculation.
Residents interested in the overall condition of the Tucson Active Management Area aquifer should review information published by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. CWC will continue working with ADWR, local governments, neighboring water providers, and other stakeholders as our region addresses its long-term water challenges.
Our responsibility to our members remains straightforward: provide reliable water delivery that meets all regulated standards, while making responsible decisions that support a sustainable water supply for the future.
Arturo Gabaldón, General Manager and President
Safe, Local, Sustainable