Oro Valley reaches $3M in water project grants | News

The Oro Valley Water Utility has been awarded an additional $1.15 million in grant funds to pay part of its share for the Northwest Recharge and Recovery Delivery System.

The grant, from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona, brings the town’s total funding for the project to the program’s $3 million maximum, the town said in a release.

NWRRDS is a three-jurisdiction project to strengthen long-term water sustainability by storing and recovering renewable water supplies from the Colorado River. The town of Oro Valley, the Town of Marana, and Metro Water District are building a system to recover stored Central Arizona Project water and deliver it directly to residents. 

The project is “a critical step toward long-term aquifer health and resilience in the face of regional water challenges,” the release said.

“The NWRRDS project reflects Oro Valley’s commitment to Southern Arizona’s water resource sustainability by reducing Oro Valley’s current groundwater pumping up to 80 percent, further ensuring the community’s prosperity and economic vitality,” said Water Utility Director Peter Abraham.

For Oro Valley residents, this means “greater water security, protection against aquifer decline, and a more sustainable future, he continued. The ability to access and deliver stored CAP water directly to customers “will help stabilize groundwater levels, improve water quality and reduce the risk of land subsidence in Oro Valley and the surrounding region.”

WIFA grant funds help offset utility infrastructure costs because they do not need to be repaid. Oro Valley’s share of the project is near $50 million.

“We appreciate our partnership with WIFA in providing this much-needed grant funding,” said Town Manager Jeff Wilkins. “And I want to personally congratulate our Water Utility team — Director Peter Abraham and Administrator Mary Rallis — for their commitment to securing this grant funding and helping ensure a successful project for the Town.”

Construction on NWRRDS is under way. Three recovery wells have been drilled, and more than seven miles of pipeline are under construction to convey recovered water to a shared regional reservoir. From there, the water will be delivered to Oro Valley, Marana, and the Metro Water District. Once completed in mid-2026, the system is expected to provide more than 115,000 customers across northwest Tucson with reliable access to renewable water supplies.  

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