BEHIND THE
METER
O R O VA L L E Y W AT E R U T I L I TY N E W S L E T T E R
WINTER 2021
A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR Throughout history as communities grew, new water infrastructure was constructed to supply this vital resource to an increasing number of people. The Town of Oro Valley is no different. Since 1996, our population has more than doubled and the number of water system connections has grown from 9,800 services to over 21,000 services. Today, serving nearly 47,000 residents the Oro Valley Water Utility is Southern Arizona’s second largest municipal water service provider. To fulfill the department’s mission of the continued delivery of high-quality Peter Abraham, P.E. drinking water that meets and exceeds all regulatory requirements, the Utility has planned a systematic and Water Utility Director responsible multi-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This program provides the necessary upgrades to over 375 miles of pipelines, 26 pump stations, 16 reservoirs, 18 wells and 4 Central Arizona Project delivery interconnects. These assets are valued at 100 million dollars and their ability to operate without interruption allows us to provide you with high-quality drinking water services that you have come to expect from your public water system. The Utility’s CIP details the five-year scheduling of water infrastructure improvements and expansion projects. The plan aligns with the Town’s Planning goals and is based on the Utility’s 2018 Water Master Plan. The Utility reassesses the CIP goals and how to accomplish those goals each year. The CIP is flexible and can be altered as conditions, funding, priorities and regulations change. Although capital projects are scheduled throughout a five-year planning horizon, only those projects with activity scheduled during the first year are financed and adopted. Every year the utility re-invests between 1-3 million dollars in the Communities existing water system. All of the costs associated with CIP are financed and paid for solely through the water rates and fees that customers pay and not by taxes or the Town’s General Fund. In closing, with continued comprehensive CIP planning, sufficient infrastructure re-investments and a good stewardship of our assets the Utility’s water infrastructure will continue to reliably supply this vital resource to our community.
Looking forward,
Peter Abraham
Pictured: In 2021 the utility completed the replacement of a reservoir that had reached the end of it’s service life. Perpetual Capital reinvestments like this ensures our community of a reliable and safe water system.
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B E H I N D T H E M E T E R | O R O VA L L E Y W AT E R U T I L I TY N E W S L E T T E R
WINTER 2021
N E W CUSTO M E R I N FO R M AT I O N S YST E M A N D B I L L I N G P O RTA L Oro Valley Water Utility is excited to announce the implementation of a new and improved customer information system and customer portal. This is great news for our customers because now online account management and making payments will be easier and faster than ever before. The modern self-service portal will allow our customers to manage their accounts, review consumption information, set up e-billing, set up recurring payments, pay by autopay, e-check, or credit card, update contact information, access historical billing statements, and more! In addition, your monthly water bill will have a whole new look that will be easier to read and understand. We are expecting to go live with the new software platform in spring 2022. Please stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the go live date.
Have you provided us with your current contact information? Now’s a good time to make sure your information is up to date and correct. Contact Customer Service at 520-229-5000 or OVwater@orovalleyaz.gov.
DID YOU KNOW?
PROTECT THOSE PIPES FROM FREEZE Although freeze events don’t happen often in our area, a little prevention goes a long way to reduce potential damage and subsequent water leaks. Protect those exposed hose bibs and irrigation backflows with removable covers.
Our general email box at OVwater@orovalleyaz.gov is for non-emergency water inquiries only and is monitored 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday, excluding holidays. For water emergencies during business hours and after hours, contact our main phone number at 520-229-5000.
Monitor for leaks any time of the year with WaterSmart, our free online program that allows you to view your daily water use and receive automated leak and high water use notifications. Sign up on WaterSmart today at
orovalley.watersmart.com
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