ORO VALLEY WATER UTILITY NEWSLETTER FALL 2025
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Peter Abraham, P.E. Water Utility Director
This year marks the 29th anniversary of the Oro Valley Water Utility’s commitment to the successful management and operation of the community’s municipal water system. Since the establishment of the Utility in 1996, the number of water system connections have grown from 9,800 services to over 21,000 services, the population has doubled, and our available water resources have expanded from just one source of supply to three.
The Utility’s success is not by accident, but rather is the result of the organization’s commitment to the responsible stewardship of the community’s municipal water system assets. We do this by remaining fiscally conservative, making wise capital infrastructure investments, conserving and storing water resources, as well as the implementation of technology to improve the Utility’s operational efficiency. Because of this, our customers can enjoy a safe and reliable water supply, while paying the lowest rate for water compared to other similarly sized water service providers in Southern Arizona.
The Utility’s success would not be possible without the community’s support. Every aspect of the Utility’s operation is funded solely by water rates and fees that customers pay, not sales or property taxes. Annually, the Utility performs a water rates analysis to ensure sufficient revenues are generated to recover the cost of service. This analysis takes into consideration all costs associated with successfully operating Oro Valley’s municipal water system. Costs include outstanding debt, water resources, operations and maintenance, personnel, capital improvement projects and the cost of electric power.
In closing, with continued planning, responsible rate setting, good stewardship of our assets and resources, and support from Town leadership and the community, you can expect the continued long-term delivery of a safe and reliable water supply at the lowest cost possible.
Looking forward,