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Tucson departments outline $1.6 billion five‑year capital plan; water projects include PFAS treatment and advanced verification effort
Summary
City directors delivered a five‑year capital plan briefing May 6, highlighting a $574 million Tucson Water program that includes PFAS treatment facilities and more than $80 million in neighborhood main replacements, while transportation planners described a more‑than $1 billion plan largely driven by voter‑approved initiatives.
City department directors used the May 6 study session to preview five‑year capital improvement programs and highlight near‑term projects.
Tucson Water: Deputy director (Tucson Water) detailed a proposed five‑year capital plan totaling about $574 million, focused on infrastructure rehabilitation, neighborhood main replacements (more than $80 million over five years), transmission mains to serve southeast service areas, well rehab and redrilling, and PFAS treatment. Staff said work on an active Northwest Wells PFAS treatment effort is under design and that a TARP PFAS pretreatment facility is under construction with state funding through ADEQ and expected in service next summer. The department also referenced an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation for advanced water verification facility design; an RFQ will be released this year.
Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM): DTM director reported a five‑year CIP of just over $1 billion, more than 80% tied to voter‑approved programs. Major line items include neighborhood street preservation under Proposition 411 (better streets/safe streets), Proposition 407 “strong connections” projects, transit investments (compressed natural gas refueling station and delivery of 39 CNG buses), design work for Drexel Road bridge improvements (noted earlier state funding of $15 million had been received), and several neighborhood revitalization and bicycle/pedestrian bridge designs.
Environmental Services and Housing: Environmental Services described Los Reales landfill campus upgrades including a gas‑to‑energy conversion emphasis, site landscaping, and expansion of maintenance and support facilities. Housing and Community Development presented short‑term, funded capital work including public‑housing capital projects, upcoming construction on Congress‑directed projects such as Willard and the Housing First Resource Center, emergency shelter safety projects, and the Stone Avenue youth transitional housing conversion — a roughly $5.5 million redevelopment converting 54 hotel rooms to studio transitional units funded primarily with CDBG dollars (the transcript lists a $7,000,000 combined funding total among sources).
Council follow‑up: Council members asked for updates on Drexel Bridge scheduling and funding gaps; DTM said $15 million in state funds have been received and that design is advancing while staff pursues additional federal and county partners. Directors were asked to better document total capital need and unfunded portions so council can compare funded plans to identified needs.
Why it matters: CIP plans show where the city expects to deploy major infrastructure spending and identify near‑term projects that will affect neighborhoods, transit reliability, water quality (PFAS), and housing conversions. Several projects, such as the NW PFAS work and the TARP pretreatment facility, are tied to state funds and regulatory timelines.
