Oro Valley to manage partnered transmission main for northwest recharge recovery delivery system

Oro Valley staff told the Water Utility Commission that the town is acting as lead agency for construction of the partnered portion of the Northwest Recharge Recovery Delivery System and will manage construction and acceptance on behalf of partner agencies.

Staff said the partnered transmission main crosses the Santa Cruz River, I‑10 and the railroad before reaching a shared booster site. Metro Water’s independent construction reached Twin Peaks; Oro Valley staff reported that most of the partnered main is in place and the remaining sections (about two miles) are under construction. The town will coordinate construction to avoid multiple contractors working on a single site and will manage the boosters and reservoir pads for each partner.

Director‑level remarks explained the governance choice: Metro earlier managed the project but was capacity‑constrained, so partners negotiated an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that assigns Oro Valley to lead design, construction management and inspection work; partners will reimburse Oro Valley for work that is not for Oro Valley service area customers.

Staff said the plan includes both a partnered forebay/reservoir and independent booster pads for each agency. "We volunteered to be the lead agency because we had capacity and the partners were happy with that arrangement," the director said, adding that the IGA mirrors prior joint‑work arrangements and includes reimbursement for non‑Oro Valley work.

Commissioners discussed sequencing of partnered and independent alignments and heard that warranties and scheduling were coordinated so assets come online at approximately the same time to avoid stranded debt service on completed but unused infrastructure.

Next steps: staff will continue construction oversight, coordinate with partner agencies on final alignments, and update the commission during upcoming meetings and the proposed April field trip to the project site.