Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oro Valley reports no drinking‑water violations; staff details sampling, UCMR and backflow program
Summary
Water quality staff told the commission the utility met regulatory requirements with no violations in the 2024 Consumer Confidence Reports, described UCMR sampling and non‑detect results for several emerging contaminants, and outlined the backflow prevention program and enforcement steps for noncompliant assemblies.
Adam Pence, the utility’s water quality supervisor, reported that Oro Valley met drinking‑water regulatory requirements and had no violations in the most recent Consumer Confidence Reports. He walked commissioners through required sampling programs, unregulated contaminant monitoring (UCMR), and the town’s backflow prevention and cross‑connection control program.
Pence explained EPA and ADEQ responsibilities and described sampling frequencies: monthly distribution coliform samples (58 sites for this utility size), quarterly disinfection‑byproduct samples, periodic inorganic and organic compound monitoring, and household lead and copper sampling conducted at customer taps. He said the utility completed its most recent UCMR round with non‑detect results for contaminants of community concern. “We were nondetect for those contaminants,” Pence said when asked about PFOS and other UCMR analytes.
Pence emphasized sampling protocols and chain‑of‑custody procedures: dedicated stainless‑steel sampling stations, preordered laboratory bottles, PPE, and timing choices to avoid adverse weather that could contaminate microbiological samples. He also explained how distribution samples are tied directly to mainlines and how CAP source water is blended and reported in the CCR.
On cross‑connection control, Pence summarized program scope and enforcement: roughly 1,500 active backflow assemblies are managed across both systems plus about 125 town‑owned assemblies; annual certified testing and records retention are required. The enforcement flow is a 45‑day notice, a second 15‑day notice, and a final notice hand‑delivered with a four‑day compliance window; staff may lock off irrigation or perform repairs and back‑charge customers in some cases.
Next steps: staff plans software improvements for program tracking, proactive outreach, and replacement of aging town‑owned backflow devices; commissioners were told CCRs are distributed to customers and posted after Tucson Water’s report is received so the utility can finalize its blended reporting.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are included in the meeting speaker list.
