ARIZONA DAILY STAR: Mon., Nov. 11, 2007

Water cooperation bid resurfaces

Collaborative regional effort is aim for city, county after Prop. 200 loss

City and county leaders want to revive the idea of regional water cooperation in the wake of the defeat of Proposition 200 in Tucson. City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich and Pima County Supervisors Richard Elias and Sharon Bronson, in a letter sent Friday, asked Tucson City Manager Mike Hein and County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry to develop a proposal for a regional water study.

In February 2006, the Southern Arizona Water Users Authority pitched the idea of a regional water authority. Each water provider would maintain its own distribution system and customers but would work together to find new water supplies for the region. Tucson Water, Metro Water, Marana and Pima County all backed the idea, in theory at least, but when the county asked the Tucson City Council to participate in a joint study of regional water issues, the council balked.

FULL STORY: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/211109