BEHIND METER THE

Oro Valley Water Utility Newsletter Summer 2023

A Message From Our Director

Welcome to our Summer issue of “Behind the Meter”. In addition to managing our water resources to ensure our community’s long-lasting sustainability, the Water Utility is also responsible for ensuring that your drinking water is safe. For more than 20 years the Utility has produced annual water quality reports that demonstrate the successful implementation of the federal regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and enforced by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).

Peter Abraham, P.E. Water Utility Director

Each year, the Utility collects hundreds of water samples from 15 point of entry sites, including groundwater wells, reservoirs, and pumping stations. Additionally, the Utility also samples from 58 sampling stations that are specifically located to represent the water quality delivered to the customers throughout the water distribution system.

Every three years, water samples are taken from 50 private residences within the water service area and are tested for lead and copper. The Utility provides all water quality testing results to the ADEQ and works closely with the agency to ensure all local, state and federal standards are met.

Our community’s drinking water comes from two sources of supply. Approximately 65 percent comes from groundwater pumped from municipal wells located within our service area and the remaining 35 percent comes from the Colorado River by way of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) water canal.

Our community is fortunate that our water supplies are of such high quality that the only source of treatment required of our water is a small amount of chlorine that is injected at our groundwater well production sites. Maintaining a small amount of chlorine residual in our water distribution system ensures that our drinking water system is free of harmful coliform and E. coli bacteria. During 2022, all drinking water samples collected and analyzed, tested negative for these contaminants. This is a direct result of the Utility’s successful disinfection program, system monitoring and a robust maintenance program.

For additional water quality information, please see the links to our annual water quality report provided in this newsletter. In closing, thanks to the continued support from our Town’s leadership, and the community, you can expect the continued long-term delivery of a safe and reliable water supply.

Looking forward,