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Residents push for water system review and smart meters; town manager defends water safety
Summary
City residents told council that water tastes poor and urged pipe replacements and smart meters. Town Manager Suzanne Harvey said the system passes required tests, and SEAGO recommended using SSP or other funding to pay for water system assessments and engineering.
Water quality and infrastructure emerged as a prominent theme at the March 21 hearing. Resident Frances Mock said, "The water is bad, the past 7 years my dog doesn’t even drink the water," and several other residents described rust, old pipes and high bills. They urged the council to prioritize meter‑replacement programs and pipe repair or replacement.
Town Manager Suzanne Harvey responded that Huachuca City conducts required monthly testing and submits results to state regulators, adding "our water is absolutely good," while acknowledging some residents dislike the taste. SEAGO’s William Osborne described options for addressing system deficiencies: he suggested the Town consider State Special Projects (SSP) or seek WIFA/USDA funding for design and engineering to position a larger construction application. Osborne also flagged that smart meters could help the town measure usage more precisely and protect lower‑consuming customers from stepped billing inequities.
Councilmembers asked staff to investigate where mains are failing and whether a focused assessment or SSP application could provide engineering and environmental review needed for a construction application. Osborne advised that colonias funding can cover water and wastewater projects in qualifying areas, but the town must confirm colonia boundaries; SSP grants are competitive statewide and can fund planning and preliminary engineering to make a project shovel‑ready.
Next steps: staff committed to evaluating water system condition, meter technology options and potential funding pathways; any formal project proposal will be included in the candidate project list for council consideration.
