The utilization of Tucson's water resources

Abstract

The community of Tucson faces a tremendous future challenge regarding the utilization of its future water resources to meet the projected needs. The present population of almost one-half million people is expected to almost double by the year 2000 and more than triple by the year 2030. Projected growth translates directly into additional water supply requirements, and the alternatives available to this arid region can be easily identified. Tucson will make a transition from total reliance upon groundwater to the utilization of a combination of water supplies which include groundwater, Colorado River water and reclaimed wastewater. Due to the complex nature of the local water supply and distribution system, the hydraulic engineer must employ sophisticated computerized hydraulic modeling techniques in order to effectively plan the long-term utilization of the local water resources in the face of impending urban expansion.