After months of work from all the Town departments, especially the Finance Department, the new budget was approved on June 21. This new budget went into effect on July 1, 2016. This budget approval sets the limits on what each department can spend in the next year, and projects how much revenue the Town is expecting to collect to offset these expenditures. For more information on the overall Town budget, click here.

In the Marana Water department, there are two distinct budgets. One for the water department and one for the water reclamation department. Each department projects their own revenues from rates and fees, and prepares a balanced budget to meet all personnel, maintenance, and other expenditures throughout the current fiscal year.

Over the past two years, Marana Water has been working on a preventive maintenance program to ensure that our infrastructure is running as efficiently as possible, which allows us to keep rates as low as possible. The inclusion of a tank maintenance program this year is a great example of this program at work. Over the next five years, the first phase of this new program will be implemented. The adoption of the new fiscal year budget provides the funds to get this program off the ground. These tanks are vital to the consistency and reliability of our water system. Ensuring they are maintained well extends the life of the equipment for as long as possible. Painting or refurbishing a tank is much less expensive than construction of a new one. The images below display the before and after of one of the tanks we were able to work on last year.

Across the Town there are many ongoing construction projects that can span over several fiscal years, and Marana Water is no exception. The map below shows the projects our department is currently working on; that are in some stage of construction. Some are designed and are just preparing for a contractor, while others are well underway in construction of the new infrastructure. Keep checking the News page for future stories on these construction projects. The ongoing funding for these projects is included in the capital budget that was also approved on June 21.

While the beginning of a new fiscal year is an exciting time for us, it is also a reminder that we are the stewards of the rates our customers pay. A duty we do not take lightly. These rates are used to fund all the necessary expenses we incur to provide water service in a safe and reliable manner. From water sampling costs to the tank maintenance program, the majority of theses costs for service are covered by rates. Balancing the need to provide safe and reliable water service with affordable water rates is constantly at the forefront of all budget decisions.