for sewer hookup fees

By Philip Franchine Inside Tucson Business

The good news from the Pima County Wastewater Department is that it is within budget this year, but the bad news, for newcomers, is that new connection fees are likely to go up 15 percent in July.

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It is not clear what the increase will be for existing customers, but the Board of Supervisors heard that the cost of complying with more stringent health-related regulations will likely be costly in upcoming years.

In a county with 850,000 residents, that cost would be several hundred dollars per resident. That does not include the cost of maintaining an aging system or expansion.

Increases in both user and new connection fees are likely to be proposed in June and go into effect July 1, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said.

After the new fees go into effect, the board is likely to get a comprehensive water-conservation proposal that might include zoning requirements or incentives for use of reclaimed water in parks and common areas of new subdivisions; limits on the number of individual swimming pools in subdivisions that have common pools, and requirements that new golf courses use reclaimed water.

Huckelberry told the board the new connection fee looks like it will increase by 15 percent and that a cost and rate study being conducted by consultant Black & Veatch the user fees should be done by the end of May and should give the board information needed to increase user fees.

Supervisor Richard Elias, in questioning Bernal, asserted that the regulatory costs would amount to at least several hundred million dollars.

The county sewer system serves all areas of the county, including the city of Tucson, except for those areas served by the Sahuarita Wastewater Treatment Department.

Huckelberry said the county is pursuing water-conservation efforts both in its own zoning efforts and with other government agencies because water is the limiting resource factor for the region in both population and economic growth.

"Water is the quintessential limiter of growth. Water is the concern of any desert community. The issue is the economic productivity of the region," he said.

The county may seek to encourage homeowners to harvest rainwater, but is not likely to require that, Huckelberry said. The initial cost of rooftop water-harvesting is high, but recent studies show that the payback time frame is three to five years, lower than previously thought.

If the board approves a strict water-conservation policy this summer, new subdivisions may have to use reclaimed effluent on homeowners' association parks and other common areas, Huckelberry said.

Philip Franchine may be contacted at pfranchine@gvnews.com or (520) 625-5511