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About Community Water Company of Green Valley
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.
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.
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.
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.
How Water Service Works
Community Water’s current water supply relies primarily on groundwater from the Upper Santa Cruz aquifer. The Company draws from production wells, with additional well capacity planned. Each production well includes treatment designed to meet drinking water standards. Arsenic treatment removes naturally occurring arsenic before water enters the distribution system. Treated water is stored in reservoirs and forebays located across different pressure zones.
From storage, water moves through the distribution system to homes and businesses. Booster pumps help maintain pressure in higher elevation areas. Flow meters measure water movement, and SCADA remote monitoring systems track pressure, pump performance, and system conditions. Backup generators and storage capacity help support service during power outages, main breaks, and other disruptions.
Community Water’s goal is simple: when you turn on the tap, water should be available and meet all applicable regulatory standards.
Community Water tests and reports water quality under federal, state, and county drinking water rules. The Company tests water throughout the year for regulated contaminants such as arsenic, nitrate, and bacteria, and also monitors for certain unregulated or emerging contaminants as required.
The results are compiled in the annual Consumer Confidence Report, also called the Water Quality Report. This report is posted on the Company’s website each year and lists detected contaminant levels, compares them to regulatory standards, and explains what the results mean.
Community Water monitors lead and copper under the required testing rules. The Company also monitors corrosion control and system conditions to help protect water quality. Arsenic occurs naturally in local groundwater at low levels, and modern treatment systems keep delivering water within the applicable federal standard.
Community Water also tests source water before treatment to track groundwater conditions over time. If a drinking water standard is ever exceeded, the Company must notify affected customers and regulators and take corrective action.
The water delivered to members has met applicable health and safety requirements set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and Pima County regulators. The annual Water Quality Report is available at www.communitywater.com.
Infrastructure keeps water moving, and it requires regular maintenance. Community Water’s system includes wells, pumps, reservoirs, treatment plants, valves, generators, controls, meters and miles of water mains. Some parts of the distribution system are decades old and must be repaired, rehabilitated, or replaced over time.
Community Water reviews mains and services for condition assessments, age, materials, leak history, and operational needs. Older asbestos-cement pipe is replaced with more resilient materials, including ductile iron pipe where appropriate, as it leaks. The Company also inspects storage tanks, exercises valves, maintains generators, and repairs pressure regulation equipment. A meter changeout program ensures meter accuracy. When services leak, the Company proactively evaluates the services for replacement in the area.
Well rehabilitation, tank improvements, leak detection, and main replacement reduce reliability risk. When a well, pump, reservoir, or main shows signs of declining performance, the Company evaluates whether repair, rehabilitation, or replacement is the best long-term answer.
Modern tools help guide decisions. GIS mapping tracks system assets, hydraulic models help predict system performance, and SCADA monitoring alerts staff to pressure changes or unusual flow patterns. These tools help crews respond faster and plan better.
Infrastructure work is expensive, but planning helps avoid larger emergencies and spreads costs over time. A well-maintained system means fewer outages, better service reliability, and stronger protection for members.
Conservation extends supply and reduces waste. Arizona law and Community Water’s planning efforts emphasize wise water use. Members can help by fixing leaks, using efficient fixtures, choosing desert-adapted landscaping, and watering at the right time of day.
Small changes add up. Fixing irrigation leaks, replacing inefficient showerheads, using full loads in dishwashers and washing machines, and adjusting outdoor watering can reduce unnecessary water use without changing the quality of life.
Community Water also tracks its own water use and system losses. Operating procedures, leak detection, pressure management, and timely repairs help reduce waste within the utility system.
The Company shares conservation information through bills, workshops, and member communication. During droughts or water shortages, Community Water may ask members to reduce their water use voluntarily. Conservation does not eliminate the need for wells, treatment, storage, infrastructure, or long-term supply planning, but it helps protect the aquifer and control costs.
Governance and Member Rights
Community Water is an Arizona public service corporation regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Company files financial and operational information with the ACC, which oversees rates and service obligations.
The volunteer Board of Directors meets as a Board and through committees. Committees help review complex issues such as long-range planning, water system planning, governance, finance, and risk. Staff provides analysis, and Board members and Board Consultants review issues before major decisions are made.
When decisions involve rate changes, debt financing, major investments, or service area changes, the ACC process may add another layer of public review. Rate case filings and many financial filings are public, and members can follow those processes through the ACC.
Board decisions should reflect member priorities while also meeting legal, financial, operational, and regulatory requirements. Reliable water service depends on both local governance and disciplined utility management.
As a Community Water member, you have rights and protections related to service, billing, complaints, service extensions, and voting.
Service Quality: Community Water must provide water service that meets applicable drinking water standards. If an emergency requires a temporary shutoff, the Company works to notify affected customers and restore service as quickly as possible.
Billing and Payment: Members receive monthly bills for water usage and availability charges. If you have a question about a bill, customer service can review usage, check meter readings, and help resolve errors. Members may also use available payment options such as autopay, paperless billing, or payment arrangements when eligible.
Disputes and Complaints: If you disagree with a bill or service decision, start by contacting Community Water staff. Many issues can be resolved through a meter review, an account review, or a service investigation. If an issue remains unresolved, customers may contact the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Service Extensions: If you need water service for a new home or development, Community Water’s tariffs and applicable ACC rules explain how service extensions are reviewed and funded. Depending on the project, the developer, property owner, or applicant may be responsible for some or all extension costs. Members may request available Company information on current rates, service rules, and CC&N information.
Voting for the Board: Members have the right to vote for Board members at the annual meeting of members held in April, subject to the Company’s bylaws and applicable voting rules. Elected Board members owe fiduciary duties to the Company and its membership.
Community Water serves its members. Questions are best handled early, directly, and with the staff member or department closest to the issue.
Members elect directors to the Community Water Board. Director terms are staggered so that the full Board does not turn over at once.
Nominations: Members interested in serving are encouraged to learn about the responsibilities of Board service. Serving as a volunteer Board Consultant can help members understand committee work, utility planning, fiduciary duties, and the time required for Board service. The Governance Committee reviews nominees to help ensure candidates understand the role and meet applicable qualifications.
Voting: Elections typically occur at the annual meeting. Each voting membership has one vote, subject to the bylaws. Members may vote in person or by proxy when allowed. Cumulative voting is not used.
Why Vote or Run: Board members help shape utility strategy, budget priorities, infrastructure planning, rate decisions, and long-term water supply planning. Even if you do not run, attending the annual meeting lets you hear about the Company’s performance and ask questions.
Accountability: Once elected, Board members have duties under Arizona law and the Company’s bylaws. Directors may be removed as permitted by the bylaws and applicable law. Member participation through voting, questions, and informed involvement helps keep the Board aligned with the Company’s mission.
Each year, Community Water reports to members on performance, finances, and major issues facing the utility. The Company publishes audited financial statements and provides information about water quality, infrastructure, planning, and regulatory matters.
Transparency includes reporting both progress and challenges. Aging infrastructure, groundwater conditions, regulatory requirements, capital needs, and long-term supply planning are all part of the full story.
Accountability also comes through independent audits and regulatory oversight. An independent auditor reviews financial statements, and the ACC reviews rate case proposals, certain financing matters, and customer complaints that cannot be resolved directly.
Clear reporting helps members understand how Community Water is performing and where improvement is needed. It also helps Board members and community leaders understand the decisions ahead.
Money and Rates
The budget is one of Community Water’s most important planning tools. It shows how member dollars support daily water service, long-term infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and water reliability.
Each year, staff prepares an operating budget and a capital budget for Board review and approval. The operating budget pays for the daily work required to deliver water. This includes power for wells and booster pumps, treatment chemicals, water testing, employee wages, customer service, insurance, regulatory costs, and routine maintenance.
The capital budget pays for larger projects that keep the system reliable over time. These projects may include new wells, well rehabilitation, tank repairs, pump replacements, treatment upgrades, technology improvements, and replacement of aging water mains. Recent capital needs include additional well capacity and ongoing replacement of older mains that have reached the point where repair alone is no longer the best long-term answer.
Most revenue comes from water service charges paid by members. For larger projects, Community Water may use reserves, debt financing, or a combination of both. The budget helps the Board decide how much should come from current rates, how much from savings, and when borrowing is the better long-term choice.
Community Water must balance today’s affordability with tomorrow’s reliability. The Company cannot run long-term deficits and still maintain a dependable water system. A balanced budget helps protect the utility, supports financial stability, and reduces the risk of sudden emergency spending.
Strategic needs guide budget priorities. If a well declines, a pump reaches the end of its useful life, or an older main becomes unreliable, the budget must respond. If an emergency repair uses reserves, the Board and staff must decide how to rebuild those reserves and keep projects on track.
Community Water’s goal is to keep rates as stable and predictable as possible while funding the work required to maintain reliable service. As wells, mains, pumps, reservoirs, treatment systems, and technology age, the need for infrastructure replacement increases. Regular financial reviews help the Company plan investments before problems become more expensive to address.
Rates fund water service. Setting rates is a formal process involving the Arizona Corporation Commission. When Community Water needs to cover rising operating costs, capital investment, debt service, or reserve needs, the Company files a rate case. The filing explains the costs of providing service and proposes rates for ACC review.
Community Water has worked to keep rates stable and affordable. As the system ages and costs change, rate planning must reflect the work required to maintain reliable water service. In a rate case, the Company explains why revenue is needed for labor, treatment, power, infrastructure replacement, debt, reserves, and regulatory compliance.
The ACC process is public and includes review by Commission staff, written information, public hearings, and a final order approving or modifying rates. Members can comment or participate as allowed by ACC rules.
Approved rates reflect the cost of providing regulated water service. Current rates are posted on the Company’s website. They typically include a fixed monthly availability charge that supports basic system readiness and a commodity charge based on water use. Understanding rates helps members see how water use affects bills and why steady revenue supports reliable service.
Water systems become less reliable when utilities wait too long to replace wells, tanks, pumps, treatment equipment, and pipes. Capital reserves help the Community Water plan for those costs before emergencies happen.
Community Water maintains reserves to support infrastructure replacement and reduce the need for sudden financial corrections. When replacing major infrastructure, the Board decides how much to fund from reserves and how much to finance through borrowing. Building reserves over time helps the Company avoid being unprepared when essential equipment fails.
The strategic plan and Water System Improvement Plan identify what needs to be replaced and when. Many parts of the system are decades old. A capital improvement schedule helps the Community Water plan replacements, treatment upgrades, new pumps, main replacements, and technology improvements over time.
Debt financing also has a role. Long-lived assets often serve current and future members, so financing can help spread costs across the people who benefit from the system. The key is balancing today’s bills with tomorrow’s needs.
Capital reserves do not eliminate rate pressure, but they improve financial stability. They help Community Water respond to emergencies, plan major work, and reduce the risk that one large project will disrupt the utility’s financial position.
Each year, an independent auditor reviews Community Water’s financial records and issues audited financial statements. The Company posts those statements on its website, shares key financial information with members, and presents financial results at the annual membership meeting.
The financial statements show how the Company manages operating costs, capital investments, debt, reserves, and long-term obligations. They help members see that Community Water is not operating to generate profit for outside investors. The Company is working to generate sufficient revenue to operate the system, maintain infrastructure, meet regulatory requirements, pay debt obligations, and plan for future needs.
Audited financial reports support accountability. They give members a clear view of the Company’s financial condition and help show whether Community Water has the resources needed to support reliable water service over the long term.
The Arizona Corporation Commission regulates Community Water as a public service corporation. This means the ACC approves rates, reviews certain financial practices, and enforces service standards.
When Community Water proposes a new rate schedule or seeks certain financing approvals, ACC rules require the Company to justify investments, expenses, and accounting practices. ACC staff may review filings, ask questions, or suggest changes. Only after the ACC issues an order do new rates take effect.
This oversight supports accountability, but it also adds costs. Community Water may need consultants, attorneys, engineers, auditors, or other experts to prepare filings and respond to regulatory requirements. Those costs are part of operating a regulated utility.
The ACC review helps ensure costs are tied to regulated utility service. Day-to-day operations are managed by Community Water’s Board, management, and staff, while major regulatory matters such as rate changes, financing, or service area changes require ACC involvement.
Regulation gives members another layer of review. It supports fair rates, reliable service, and accountability beyond the Company’s internal governance.
Water quality is regulated by county, state, and federal agencies. Pima County regulators and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality enforce drinking water rules under the oversight of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. These agencies set or enforce standards, review and monitor, and conduct system inspections.
Compliance requires regular testing and reporting. Community Water submits water quality data to regulators and maintains records showing whether delivered water meets applicable standards. If a federal or state rule changes, such as a new requirement for PFAS or lead-and-copper monitoring, the Company must evaluate the rule and respond as required.
For members, this means water quality is reviewed through multiple layers: utility testing, laboratory analysis, state and county oversight, federal standards, and public reporting. Community Water shares required water quality information through its annual Water Quality Report and other notices when required.
These rules help protect public health and guide utility operations. Compliance costs money, but it also helps ensure the water system remains licensed, monitored, and accountable.
Long-Term Water Security
Arizona water law affects every part of Community Water’s long-term planning. Different rules apply to surface water, including Colorado River water and Santa Cruz River water, and to groundwater stored in aquifers, including the Upper Santa Cruz aquifer. These rules determine where water comes from, who has the legal right to use it, who must replenish it, and what costs are passed on to customers.
Community Water’s 1985 commitment to the Central Arizona Project, followed by a Central Arizona Project contract, helped secure access to a legal supply of Colorado River water. The prior appropriation doctrine governs Colorado River water, often described as “first in time, first in right.” The allocation gives Community Water the contractual right to receive water from Arizona’s share of the Colorado River supply, subject to contracts, shortages, operating rules, and costs.
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. In practical terms, the State wants groundwater use matched through conservation, renewable supplies, or recharge, including Central Arizona Project water.
Arizona law treats older and newer development differently. About 80% of Community Water’s service area was platted before the mid-1990s. These older areas are tied to older groundwater rights. Members in these areas pay Community Water for water service, but they do not pay a CAGRD replenishment charge. About 20% of Community Water’s service area was approved after the mid-1990s. These newer areas generally had to show an assured water supply before lots were developed. To meet that requirement, these lots were enrolled in the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD). CAGRD charges those newer lots to replenish groundwater used to serve them. That charge is separate from the water bill and is usually collected through the property tax bill.
Community Water has not sought a Designation of Assured Water Supply. A designation would shift the replenishment obligation to the utility. It would require Community Water to collect replenishment costs from all customers (both older and newer developments) and to pay CAGRD in accordance with CAGRD replenishment rates. It would allow for growth without requiring each developer to satisfy the replenishment obligation on a lot-by-lot basis. Because Community Water is a nonprofit water utility, not a developer, this approach would impose greater costs and risks on the membership without a clear member benefit.
The location of replenishment also matters. CAGRD replenishment water may meet its obligation by retiring long-term water credits, retiring farming water rights, or by recharge, including in areas outside Community Water’s local service area. These strategies satisfy a legal obligation, but they may not provide a direct hydrologic benefit to the aquifer that serves Community Water members.
This legal framework affects every member. Community Water is allowed to pump groundwater under State conservation rules. If pumping exceeds the amount allowed under those rules, the utility must replenish the excess water, implement conservation measures, evaluate operational changes, and provide greater reliance on renewable water supplies.
Water rights are the legal foundation for reliable service. Every gallon delivered by Community Water depends on groundwater rights, Central Arizona Project contracts, conservation rules, replenishment obligations, and long-term planning. Early planning, careful groundwater management, and long-term projects help protect members from supply and cost risks.
Project Renews supports Community Water’s long-term water supply strategy. The project is intended to create a path to bring Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project system into the Green Valley and Sahuarita area for recharge and water supply planning.
Project Renews does not replace the daily work of operating wells, treatment plants, reservoirs, pumps, and mains. Today’s water service still depends on local groundwater, treatment, storage, distribution infrastructure, trained staff, permits, power, and financial planning.
The purpose of Project Renews is to give Community Water another tool to reduce long-term reliance on local groundwater and improve water resilience. Recharge can support groundwater management by storing renewable supplies underground when water is available and the system can receive it.
Project Renews also helps explain why Community Water monitors Central Arizona Project costs, Colorado River conditions, groundwater law, CAGRD rules, and regional water policy. Changes in any of these areas can affect supply planning and customer costs.
Members should understand Project Renews as part of a broader strategy. It improves long-term planning options, but it does not eliminate the need for conservation, well maintenance, infrastructure replacement, regulatory compliance, and responsible rate planning.
Community Water monitors regional groundwater conditions because local groundwater quality can be affected by natural conditions, historic activity, and nearby land uses. One regional issue is the presence of sulfate and total dissolved solids associated with mining-related groundwater impacts in the Green Valley area. Testing shows that the sulfate plume does not currently impact us.
Community Water’s annual Water Quality Report notes whether delivered drinking water is affected by regulated contaminants and explains detected levels. The Company also tracks source water and regional information to understand long-term trends and risks.
A Community Advisory Group was established as part of sulfate mitigation efforts involving the local mine and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Community Water representatives attend these meetings to stay informed, review information, and understand potential effects on local groundwater resources.
This issue is separate from routine drinking water compliance. Community Water continues to test delivered water, operate treatment systems, and report results in accordance with applicable drinking water rules. Monitoring regional groundwater conditions helps the Company plan for supply and treatment needs.
Compliance means meeting many deadlines. Community Water operates on a regulatory calendar that includes water quality sampling, annual reports, Consumer Confidence Reports, operator certification, system inspections, ACC filings, and other required submissions.
Each task has a cost. The budget includes lab testing, reporting software, staff time, operator training, consultants, attorneys, engineering support, and communication with members and regulators. Industry groups also help the Company stay current on rule changes and utility practices.
New rules often require additional work even when the system is already performing well. Lead and copper rules, PFAS requirements, water loss reporting, and other regulatory changes can require new sampling, documentation, customer communication, technology, or treatment planning.
ACC filings also require careful preparation. Before certain rate changes, debt financing, service area changes, or major regulatory actions, Community Water must provide information and respond to review. Planning helps spread these costs and reduces last-minute pressure.
For members, the takeaway is straightforward: some rate revenue supports compliance. That work keeps the system licensed, water quality monitored, and the utility accountable. Many compliance tasks also improve operations by identifying leaks, documenting assets, and improving planning.
Community Water has limited remaining growth areas within its current service area. As the CC&N service area develops, the Company coordinates with developers, local governments, engineers, and regulators to review water service needs.
Each new development requires engineering review. Community Water evaluates production capacity, distribution capacity, storage, pressure zones, fire flow, water supply, and regulatory requirements. Growth should not place unfair costs on current members.
Developers are generally responsible for the upfront cost of extensions and facilities needed to serve new development, subject to tariffs, agreements, and regulatory requirements. When growth is properly planned and funded, additional members can help spread fixed costs over a broader base. When growth is not properly planned, it can strain capacity and increase costs.
Community Water uses the Water System Improvement Plan and other planning tools to determine whether existing wells, mains, reservoirs, and pressure zones can support new service. Any growth must also meet state-assured water-supply requirements, where applicable.
Serving tomorrow’s members requires balance. Community Water must support reasonable service requests while protecting current members, water supply, infrastructure capacity, and financial stability.
Weather patterns are becoming harder to rely on. Community Water plans for drought, extreme heat, heavy storms, power outages, and uncertainty around the Colorado River by maintaining wells, backup power, emergency plans, and long-term supply projects.
Drought planning starts with the daily system. Community Water maintains wells, treatment systems, reservoirs, booster stations, generators, monitoring systems, and emergency response procedures. The Company also maintains mutual aid relationships with neighboring utilities and regional partners.
Long-term water security also depends on diversifying water supplies. Community Water’s Central Arizona Project allocation and Project Renews provide tools for recharge and water supply planning. These tools support resilience, but they do not remove the need to manage local groundwater carefully.
Members can help by using water efficiently, fixing leaks, planning for heat and heavy rain, and responding to conservation requests when needed. The Company’s strategy is to reduce unnecessary waste, protect local groundwater, maintain reliable infrastructure, and adapt operations as conditions change.
Community Water does not operate alone. The Company coordinates with local governments, regulators, neighboring utilities, community organizations, and regional water partners to serve the communities of Green Valley and Sahuarita.
Coordination with Pima County and local jurisdictions helps align water infrastructure with development, roads, fire flow needs, emergency access, and community planning. Community Water also shares information with research and water-planning organizations, thereby supporting a better understanding of the Upper Santa Cruz basin.
The Company works with neighboring water systems and regional partners on issues such as emergency preparedness, water supply, groundwater monitoring, and mutual aid. These relationships help utilities respond faster during outages, storms, power failures, or other emergencies. Community Water also participates in water policy discussions and community presentations. These efforts help ensure member interests are considered in regional planning, Colorado River discussions, groundwater management, and infrastructure funding opportunities.
Partnerships do not replace local responsibility. Community Water remains responsible for serving its members, maintaining its system, and making decisions that support reliable water delivery.
Community Water’s strategic plan focuses on reliable water delivery, sustainable supply, stable finances, results and retention, and strong stakeholder relationships. These priorities guide daily work and long-term decisions.
Over the next planning cycle, Community Water will continue work on long-term supply, well capacity, infrastructure replacement, treatment reliability, technology, emergency preparedness, and financial planning. The Company will also continue to evaluate grants, state financing, and other funding tools where they help stretch member dollars.
Community Water has worked to keep rates stable and affordable. As the system ages and replacement costs rise, rate planning must be predictable and tied to long-term infrastructure needs. Planned investment helps reduce the risk of larger emergency costs later. Training and succession planning are also priorities. Community Water must retain skilled employees, document procedures, train new staff, and prepare leaders for increasingly complex utility operations.
The strategic vision also includes technology and resilience. Community Water will continue to monitor emerging contaminants, evaluate water technologies, improve data systems, and practice emergency response. The goal is a secure, efficient, and community-centered water utility.
Members can expect Community Water to keep adapting as regulations, costs, infrastructure needs, and water supply conditions change. The Company’s responsibility is to deliver reliable water today while preparing for our members’ water supply needs.