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Oro Valley working group refines 10-year water plan drafts; staff to send 30% consolidated draft
Summary
At a virtual meeting the Oro Valley Water Resources and Conservation working group reviewed draft goals, policies and actions for a 10-year water plan, discussed clearer wording and measurable targets for large water users, and asked staff to circulate a consolidated 30% draft for public review this summer.
Malini Sims, principal planner for the Town of Oro Valley, opened the second working-group meeting to review draft goals, policies and actions for the town's 10-year Water Resources and Conservation plan and asked participants to focus on wording and measurable elements.
The group discussed high-level goals drawn from a community survey, including concerns about water availability over the next decade, prioritizing conservation, reducing potable (drinking) water used for irrigation, and increasing use of reclaimed water. Sims said the purple-column whiteboard content is a summary of prior input and that formal plan language will appear in the numbered goals, policies and actions.
Participants recommended several edits to make plan language more actionable. Multiple speakers urged replacing vague phrasing such as "fix the biggest users first" with clearer direction (examples offered included "target" or "approach" large users and establishing parameters or benchmarks for reductions). Sims said staff will rework the wording to add clarity and, where appropriate, measurable steps without prescribing fixed percentage reductions that may be impractical case-by-case.
Staff highlighted existing local rules and tools. Peter Abraham, director of Oro Valley's water utility, summarized current conservation measures and described the town's water-conservation code (adopted in 2021) as part of the regulatory backdrop. He also said the town's tiered commodity rate (higher-priced upper tiers) has been adjusted recently and remains the most effective tool to change high-usage behavior.
Sims closed by outlining next steps: staff will send a consolidated "30% draft" next week that reconciles work from four resident groups, incorporate the suggested wording changes and clarifications, and convene the group again in August to review a full draft before broader public review.
The working group did not take formal votes during the session; the meeting concluded with staff-directed edits and a schedule for the next review.
