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Tucson Water reports PFAS remediation progress, first litigation payment, and a 2026 CAP order of 91,391 acre‑feet
Summary
Tucson Water told council it removed 24 production wells from service (8 in emergency status), operated under strict internal PFAS targets (<2 ppt for PFOA/PFOS), began receiving litigation settlement payments (first installment ~ $4.9M) and plans a 2026 CAP order of 91,391 acre‑feet after conservation commitments. Staff outlined treatment projects and rebranding of the Clearwater program as the Water Bank of Tucson.
Tucson Water provided the council a second-quarter 2025 update on PFAS monitoring, groundwater remediation and Colorado River/CAP ordering on Sept. 9. Director John Kmiec reported the utility is operating under internal, stricter operational targets for PFOA and PFOS (less than 2 parts per trillion), has removed 24 drinking-water production wells from service (eight in emergency-only status), and tested more than 300 water samples April–June with potable water meeting internal targets.
Kmiec outlined remediation projects: Randolph Park Groundwater Treatment Facility has been drilling a new well and TARP's pretreatment system is about 15% complete with full operation expected in 2026. He said the TARP pretreatment is predominantly funded by the State of Arizona with approximately $25 million in accessible funds, and that the Air Force is piloting PFAS treatment at Plant 44 with a permanent plant planned for 2028.
On the financial side, Kmiec said Tucson has begun receiving payments from national PFAS litigation (manufacturers including 3M and DuPont); the first tranche to Tucson was nearly $4,900,000 representing about 20% of the city's anticipated share from the largest settlement pool. Kmiec estimated Tucson Water customer investments over the last decade exceeded $50 million—and perhaps closer to $100 million when lost wells and other asset impacts are included—and said litigation funds will be used to offset ongoing mitigation and to pay down loans such as a WIFA loan for a NW side treatment facility.
On the Colorado River/CAP order, staff proposed a 2026 CAP delivery schedule of 91,391 acre-feet (down from 144,191 acre-feet full entitlement) after voluntary conservation commitments; the city will bank and store water for partners and act as a regional storage partner. The council voted to submit the CAP order as proposed.
Why it matters: The presentation details how city operations respond to federal and state PFAS guidance, the timeline and funding for major treatment facilities, and near-term fiscal implications from litigation recoveries; the CAP order and conservation commitments also shape Tucson's water supply and regional role.
Next steps: Staff will continue construction of treatment systems, implement AMI rollouts, pursue federal and state coordination on PFAS and bring further budgetary and implementation details to the October council meeting.
