Marana may take county to court over water needs

By B. Poole, Tucson Citizen, Published: 07.25.2007

It was a resolution declaring a new park, but it seemed more like a declaration of war. Pima County supervisors, reacting to Marana's hostile takeover attempt at a county wastewater treatment plant, dubbed the acres surrounding the plant Anza Park on Tuesday.

The move prevents Marana from annexing the land, because state law forbids annexation of parks. The town had considered annexation to gain control of the increasingly valuable font of effluent flowing into the Santa Cruz River, Marana Mayor Ed Honea said.

Marana will take the battle to court unless agreement can be reached. The court battle will begin soon, Honea said. "We will if we have to, but we don't want to," Honea said.

The move is the latest in a series of skirmishes between the county and the town of about 26,000 northwest of Tucson. Marana has been trying for more than a year to gain control of effluent produced there. The treated wastewater - 150,000 gallons per day now but projected to grow to 3.5 million gallons within a decade - could help ensure that the growing town has enough water for decades, Huckelberry said.

The county has declined to sell or otherwise turn the plant over to Marana, although a 1979 agreement between the governments calls for the town to take over wastewater operations when it is able, Honea said.

Supervisors also voted Tuesday to cancel a 1979 agreement that designates the county as the wastewater treatment operator for the town. On July 11, Marana's council voted to dissolve the agreement.

The move does not mean wastewater treatment will stop, Honea said. State laws will prevent a plant shutdown, he said.

Supervisor Sharon Bronson urged further negotiations to avert a court fight, which would cost taxpayers money. It will take further study to determine how canceling the 1979 agreement will affect the county, Huckelberry said.

Without the agreement, the county has no authority to collect user and connection fees, which fund expansions of the wastewater system, Huckelberry said.

Marana leaders are simply trying to gain control of a commodity they feel they should own, Honea said. Marana also hopes to gain control of a wastewater pumping station at Continental Ranch and to build a new plant to treat effluent that now goes through the pumping station to the county's Ina Road treatment plant.

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