Residents raise water‑system concerns; SEAGO urges engineering assessment before CDBG implementation

At the public hearing on March 21, several residents raised concerns about Huachuca City’s drinking water system and billing. Frances Mock told council, "The water is bad, the past 7 years my dog doesn’t even drink the water," and said older pipes were rusty. Manager Suzanne Harvey responded that the system passes required monthly testing and urged residents not to conclude the water is unsafe, while acknowledging taste and infrastructure issues warrant evaluation.

SEAGO representative William Osborne explained that CDBG regional funds and State Special Projects have different roles: SSP grants can fund engineering, environmental review and design so a town can become shovel‑ready, and regional account CDBG awards are typically used for implementation. Osborne recommended that the Town consider SSP for an engineering assessment to identify failing mains, then apply regionally for construction or meter replacement projects. Residents also suggested replacing water meters with smart meters that report by hundreds of gallons to improve household billing accuracy.

Council asked for specific locations and scope to strengthen any future application; Osborne said specificity (map locations of failing mains, client lists for income‑qualified housing rehab, or a defined colonia) improves scoring. The hearing produced no decision to submit an application; minutes will be used to form the project list for subsequent action.