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Tucson Water tests the waters at tastings

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You can have a voice in the taste and cost of the water that will flow from your faucet in the next decade.

Tucson Water is conducting "Decision H20" to determine consumer preferences as the utility increases the amount of Colorado River water blended with groundwater and delivered to our homes.

Since the 1940s, Tucson has pumped more water from its aquifer than has been replenished, according to Michael J. McGuire, a water expert and environmental consultant from California working with Tucson Water. The utility blends groundwater with Colorado River water that runs through our home taps.

The water from Tucson's aquifer has about 250 milligrams of total dissolved solids, or natural minerals — calcium, sodium, magnesium and others — per liter of water. Colorado River water has about 650 mg of dissolved solids per liter, McGuire said during a recent media briefing.

The high mineral content of CAP water caused dismal results when Tucson Water began delivering Colorado River water to homes in 1992. Customers reported smelly, discolored water, burst pipes and damaged appliances. Tucson Water stopped delivering CAP water in 1994. In 1999, city voters approved a ballot measure that allowed CAP water delivery to homes after it was filtered through the earth and mixed with groundwater.

Since 2001, Tucson Water has been using an aquifer rechargeand-recovery system that blends ground and Colorado River waters through its Clearwater Renewable Resource Facility in Avra Valley, west of Tucson. Basically, 24 billion gallons of Colorado River water are pumped into a recharge basin, where it is mixed with groundwater.

When Tucson Water started delivering the blend, it agreed to come back to customers when the mineral level was expected to exceed 450 mg/L, McGuire said.

The blend of water now sent through customer pipes has an average mineral level of about 350 mg/L. The blend is about 50 percent of the water used today.

Tucson Water is mandated by state law to cut its groundwater pumping and minimize the threat of subsidence and damage to the environment and riparian areas.

As Tucson Water increases the amount of Colorado River water in its blend to meet the consumer and legal demands, the mineral content will rise.

Choices, choices

Tucson Water has outlined two options for our water future:

● Allow the mineral level to increase, which is expected to reach 650 mg/L by 2020.

This mineral level is considered "hard" water. For residential consumers, this could mean and additional $3-4 per month by 2020 in maintenance costs for appliances and equipment such as water heaters and coolers.

● To keep the mineral level at or below 450 mg/L, which is still relatively hard water, Tucson Water would build a reverse osmosis plant to reduce the high mineral content. The plant would cost about $340 million to build and $15 million a year to operate, McGuire said.

For consumers, this would mean an additional $7 per month to pay for the treatment facility. Tucson Water projects no significant maintenance costs.

Neither water blend nor mineral level pose health hazards, McGuire said when facilitating the media panel. Both waters must be treated with chlorine disinfectant.

Tucson Water's "Decision H2O" program is the chance for consumers to give their opinion. Would they accept a mineral level greater than 450 mg/L? Or would they prefer and be willing to pay for a reverse osmosis facility to maintain the lower mineral level?

To date, 140 Tucson Water customers who represented the demographics of the utility's users have been invited to consumer panels. Eighty participants agreed to join the discussions and sipped and swished six water samples with mineral contents between 450 and 650 mg/L.

The panel results: 18 preferred the 650 mg/L blend and 62 preferred the 450 mg/L blend.

Now it's your turn. Today through Jan. 31, you can sample the water choices at tasting kiosks at Park Place and Tucson Mall. The tasting stations also will be available at some community events during this time frame.

You'll be asked to taste two water samples and select a preference based on taste, cost and other factors. Your responses will be compiled and posted at www.DecisionH20.com online.

Tucson's mayor and City Council will receive the consumer-preference information in March for consideration as they decide whether to build and operate a reverse osmosis facility, Mitchell Basefsky, Tucson Water spokesman, said at the media briefing.

The tasting kiosks open today. Sip a sample and tell Tucson Water, and ultimately the City Council, how you feel our water should taste and what you're willing to pay.