By Mitch Tobin
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
"A fiendishly complex, multidimensional conundrum" is how a recent University of Arizona study describes Tucson's water situation.
So it's no surprise that dozens of Star readers sent in questions about the reintroduction of Colorado River water today.
Mayor Bob Walkup is expected to start up Tucson Water's Clearwater Facility in the Avra Valley at 10 a.m.
Here are answers to some of the most common questions:
Question: Didn't Tucson voters already reject the use of Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project?
Answer: Several readers were furious, insisting the city had already voted several times to reject the use of CAP water.
Well, sort of.
In 1995, city voters did approve Proposition 200, the Water Consumer Protection Act, which banned direct delivery of CAP unless it's purified to match the quality of top-notch local ground water. That would require membrane filtration, which was rejected by Tucson Water as too costly.
Then, in 1997, developers and business people put a measure on the ballot to undo the Water Consumer Protection Act. Voters soundly defeated the repeal attempt.
But in 1999, voters rejected another Proposition 200 that would have strengthened and lengthened the 1995 Water Consumer Protection Act. Its defeat paved the way for the use of a blend of recharged CAP and Avra Valley ground water.
Q. Which parts of town will get the CAP blend?
A. All parts of town.
The reintroduction of CAP water is limited to Tucson Water's 675,000 customers and doesn't apply to smaller water utilities in surrounding areas.
In the 1992 debut, CAP water was limited to specific areas and reached about 84,000 customers. This time the CAP blend will be introduced into the citywide distribution system and mixed at several points with ground water. Tucson Water says all its customers eventually have some chance of receiving it.
People who live in Midtown will likely get the most CAP blend because that is where the most ground water wells will be turned off. But the exact distribution will vary day to day as some parts of the city demand more water than others.
Q. Do I need to prepare in any way for the CAP blend? Will my fish and plants be OK?
A. Tucson Water says no special precautions are necessary.
Last time, the utility warned aquarium owners and dialysis patients to consult pet stores and doctors because it was treating the river water with chloramine - a combination of ammonia and chlorine.
This time, Tucson Water is using chlorine, the same chemical it now uses to treat ground water. Chloramine was used last time because of the river water's high content of organic material, which will be mostly filtered this time by the recharge process in the Avra Valley.
Q. What other chemicals will be used to treat the water?
A. Tucson Water spokesman Mitch Basefsky said that if the water's pH - a measure of its acidity - needs to be adjusted to match the city's ground water, the utility would add sodium hydroxide. The chemical adds a negligible amount of sodium to the water, he said.
Last time, CAP water's high acidity was blamed for corroding pipes.
Tucson Water doesn't expect a repeat of problems with corrosion. But, if necessary, it would add polyphosphate, a corrosion inhibitor.
Q. Does the CAP canal have any fish? If so, where can I go fishing?
A. The 336-mile CAP canal hosts the same fish you'd find in the Colorado River, including bass, crappie and catfish. CAP officials also introduced carp to control algae on the canal banks - they're large enough to be visible from a helicopter several hundred feet above the canal.
But put down that fishing pole.
Public access to the canal is strictly prohibited to guard against vandalism and injuries, CAP spokesman Bob Barrett said. To keep out trespassers, the CAP regularly patrols the canal by land vehicle and helicopter.
Q. What ever happened to the reservoir that was once proposed for Tucson?
A. The original plan for the CAP envisioned a reservoir at the aqueduct's end in Tucson. And federal officials drew up plans for a 15,000-acre-foot lake on Tucson's Southwest Side.
Backers said the lake was needed as an emergency water supply to guard against disruptions of the CAP canal.
But the project was abandoned after Tucson voters prohibited direct delivery of CAP water in 1995.
While Tucson Water still supports the idea and it is still included as an item in the Bureau of Reclamation's annual budget, there are no current plans to construct the reservoir.
Because Tucson Water is recharging CAP water into the Avra Valley, then recovering it with wells, any problems on the canal would not immediately strangle Tucson's water supply. The utility could keep pumping Avra Valley ground water until repairs were made.
"If we're not using direct delivery, there's no need for that kind of storage facility," Basefsky said. "We still support it, but it isn't an active issue."
Original plans called for a $55 million lake to be built on 1,100 acres about four miles southeast of Arizona 86 and West Valencia Road. The Bureau of Reclamation also proposed $8.5 million worth of swimming, boating and other recreational facilities along its shores.
Q. Whom do I call if I have more questions or problems with my water?
A. Tucson Water's customer service center can be reached at 791-3242. Additional employees have been trained to handle customers' concerns.
The utility Web site, www.ci.tucson.az.us/water/, has more information on the CAP reintroduction. Visitors also can access water quality data for their neighborhoods.
* Contact Mitch Tobin at 806-7739 or by e-mail at mtobin@azstarnet.com.
