Who We Are
Discover how a group of local residents created Community Water Company and how their commitment to reliable water, local involvement, and long-term planning continues to shape the utility serving Green Valley and Sahuarita today. Read more...
Community Water Company is a nonprofit water utility with members. Members elect the Board of Directors and help keep the Company accountable to the community it serves.
Community Water Company of Green Valley was founded in 1975 by a volunteer group of residents who recognized the need for local control of water resources. They were committed to providing reliable drinking water that met regulated standards and to maintaining a sustainable water supply. This group took on the task of acquiring the utility from Arizona Water Company.
Today, Community Water operates under a member-based model focused on reliable water service. Since water delivery began in 1977, the system has grown from a small local utility into a larger regional water provider serving Green Valley and Sahuarita. That growth required additional wells, reservoirs, water mains, treatment systems, and technology to support reliable delivery.
Through drought, changing regulations, rising costs, and an aging system, the mission has stayed the same: deliver regulated drinking water every day. Community Water plans because water service depends on infrastructure, trained people, legal water rights, regulatory compliance, financial discipline, and long-term supply investments. Member involvement matters, and so does steady reinvestment.
Understanding the Nonprofit Corporate Model
What does it mean to be a member of a nonprofit water utility? Learn how members elect the Board, how decisions are made, and why revenues remain focused on maintaining and improving your water system. Read more...
Community Water Company operates as a nonprofit water utility. Anyone who applies for water service and pays the applicable service connection fee becomes a member of the Company. As a member, you have a voice in the utility’s future. Members elect the Board of Directors, submit proxies, attend the annual meeting, and help keep the Company accountable to the people it serves.
The membership elects the Board of Directors. Board members set the Company’s strategic direction, approve budgets, hire and oversee management, and make policy decisions that affect long-term water service. Their role is to protect the interests of the membership while supporting reliable water delivery, financial stability, and responsible water planning.
Qualified members may also serve in leadership roles. To run for the Board, a member must meet the qualifications in the Company’s bylaws.
Community Water also benefits from volunteer Board Consultants. Board Consultants serve in an advisory role. They are not directors, do not vote, do not make motions, and do not count toward a Board quorum. They serve on committees, where they help review issues, share experience, and support the Board’s work. Some Board Consultants may later become candidates for Board service.
Because Community Water is a nonprofit, revenues stay within the utility. After operating expenses are paid, remaining funds support reserves, system maintenance, capital projects, debt obligations, and long-term planning. Money does not go to outside investors. It stays focused on the water system and the members it serves.
Member participation matters. Each year, members can submit a proxy or attend the annual meeting in April. That participation helps ensure member voices are represented in Board elections and Company decisions.The nonprofit member model keeps decision-making local. It also supports transparency and accountability. Community Water publishes audited annual financial reports, hosts water-related workshops, and gives public presentations. Your involvement, whether through voting, attending meetings, learning about water issues, or following Company updates, helps keep Community Water focused on its members’ needs.
Serving a Desert Community
Providing reliable water in the desert requires planning beyond today. Explore where our water comes from, why groundwater and Colorado River supplies both matter, and how conservation and long-term planning help protect our future. Read more...
Arizona is a desert state with limited water supplies. Community Water relies on groundwater from the Upper Santa Cruz aquifer and long-term access to Colorado River water through the Central Arizona Project system.
Green Valley and Sahuarita are in the Tucson Active Management Area. The Tucson AMA’s goal is safe-yield, which means groundwater pumping should be balanced with water returned to the aquifer over time. In practical terms, the State wants groundwater use matched through conservation, renewable supplies, or recharge, including Central Arizona Project water.
For decades, Community Water has used deep wells while planning for shortages. In the 1980s, the Company secured a Central Arizona Project allocation to access Colorado River water, recognizing that local wells alone may not meet our needs. Today, drought, uncertainty about the Colorado River, and local groundwater conditions require careful water supply planning.
Members help by using water wisely, fixing leaks, and making efficient water practices part of daily life. Conservation alone will not solve long-term supply challenges, but it reduces waste and supports better planning. Community Water also evaluates recharge, well rehabilitation, infrastructure replacement, and regional partnerships as part of long-term supply planning.
Our Board, Staff, and Volunteers
Reliable water service takes a team. Meet the Board members, staff, and volunteers who provide governance, maintain critical infrastructure, assist members, manage resources, and help plan for Community Water’s future. Read more...
Community Water’s work depends on people who understand water service, finance, governance, regulation, and customer needs. The volunteer Board of Directors, elected by members, sets policy and oversees strategy. Board members bring experience from fields such as engineering, finance, planning, operations, and community service.
Over the Company’s history, Board leaders helped guide major decisions, including securing Central Arizona Project water, integrating the New Pueblo system, funding arsenic treatment, improving infrastructure, and supporting long-term water supply planning. These decisions were made with local water service and member interests in mind.
Board Consultants serve in an advisory committee role. They assist with committee work, review issues, share experience, and support Board decision-making. They do not vote as Board members or exercise Board authority.
Community Water’s paid staff keep the system operating every day. Operators and technicians maintain wells, treatment systems, mains, pumps, reservoirs, and monitoring equipment. Customer service representatives handle billing, service questions, and account support. Administrative staff support finance, compliance, communication, records, and planning. Together, Board members, staff, and volunteers support reliable water service.