Cochise County staff brief supervisors on plan to buy land for Bisbee effluent recharge; construction awaits grants

Cochise County Deputy County Administrator Joe Casey told the Board of Supervisors at a July 17 work session that staff plans to place a purchase agreement on next week’s regular meeting agenda for property tied to the Bisbee effluent recharge project.

The project is still in design: a county flood-control staff member said the effort is roughly 30% designed and that the next steps this year are to complete final design and secure construction funding. “It’s about $14,000,000 for construction,” the flood-control staff member said. County staff said the purchase of land this year is needed so engineers can finish siting the recharge basin in the final plans.

Why it matters: the county and nearby cities are pursuing recharge work to move treated effluent from currently discharged surface locations into managed recharge to bolster San Pedro River flows and to position the region for issues tied to the Gila River adjudication and surface‑water accounting. County staff described several existing and potential funding sources, and stressed that construction will not proceed until the county obtains construction grants.

Details from the work session

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