Marana residents can get a lesson about the town's water resources Wednesday during a Town Council meeting.
The presentation, which officials have dubbed "Marana Water 101," will provide an overview of how state law and water issues affect the town, said Town Attorney Frank Cassidy.
The presentation will be followed by an executive session where council members will discuss efforts to pursue additional water resources.
Most of the town's water supply is groundwater that is pumped to residents' taps.
While the underground water level in other areas of the Tucson region has declined, Marana is seeing increases. The water table beneath Marana has risen 40 feet in the past four years, said Brad DeSpain, the town's utilities director.
The increase is partially the result of rooftops replacing farm fields, which use more water than residential development.
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Another reason for the increase is the town's use of Central Arizona Project water to recharge the aquifer.
The CAP sends Colorado River water along 336 miles of canals from Lake Havasu City to Tucson. Marana uses its portion of CAP water to recharge the Santa Cruz River basin, to be pumped out of area wells later.
However, recharge efforts alone won't be enough to sustain a projected population of more than 100,000 by 2030, town officials have said.
One option officials are pursuing is taking over the Pima County's Wastewater Treatment Facility to gain control of the effluent.
Officials are hoping to use a clause from a 1979 sewer agreement with the county that would allow them to seize control of the plant.
The effluent generated would help Marana meet its water needs.
Other options include purchasing water rights from groups such as the Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District or buying "water farms," Town Manager Mike Reuwsaat said.
But neither the town's current efforts to acquire water nor the details of Wednesday's executive session can be discussed publicly yet, Cassidy said in an e-mail. Doing so might hurt the town's long-term water interests, he said.
"Premature disclosure would inevitably cause a bidding war which would at best cost the town more money and at worst scuttle the deal entirely," Cassidy said.
If you go
What: Marana Town Council special session
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive
