Action 22.
Regular Board of Supervisors Meeting
Engineering & Natural Resources
- Meeting Date:
- 11/26/2024
- Title:
- Bisbee Effluent Agreement
- Submitted By:
- Joe Casey, Information Technology
- Department:
- Engineering & Natural Resources
Presentation:
No A/V Presentation
Recommendation:
Approve
Document Signatures:
BOS Signature Required
# of ORIGINALS
Submitted for Signature:
Submitted for Signature:
1
NAME
of PRESENTER:
of PRESENTER:
Joe Casey
TITLE
of PRESENTER:
of PRESENTER:
Associate County Administrator
Docket Number (If applicable):
Mandated Function?:
Not Mandated
Source of Mandate
or Basis for Support?:
or Basis for Support?:
Information
Agenda Item Text:
Approve agreement for the sale and purchase of wastewater effluent with the City of Bisbee for 25 years from the effective date of this agreement.
Background:
In 2019, the City of Bisbee and Board of Supervisors entered into an Effluent Lease Option Agreement that gave the county priority in entering into a longer term lease to purchase Bisbee’s effluent for the purposes of a recharge project in the southern most reach of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA). That option agreement was extended by the City and Board in July of 2024 to allow for more time to work out the details of today’s longer-term 25-year effluent lease agreement. With this agreement, the County is guaranteed a minimum of 200 acre-feet of effluent a year when the project becomes operational. The City of Bisbee will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the pipeline transporting the effluent and the County will be responsible for the recharge basins that will receive the effluent on a property adjacent to the SPRNCA. Future lease expenses to the County will be offset by the Cochise Conservation and Recharge Network’s (CCRN) pending establishment of a long-term endowment to help cover operations and maintenance costs for all of its recharge projects. This is an important milestone in moving forward with the CCRN’s Bisbee Effluent Recharge Project to support dwindling river flows in this reach of the SPRNCA and the viability of Fort Huachuca’s missions.
Department's Next Steps (if approved):
Continue working on finding construction and long term maintenancin funding for this project.
Impact of NOT Approving/Alternatives:
This project needs the commitment of the effluent to obtain funding to start this project. We do not want to expend resources for this project if the effluent is not available and committed.
To BOS Staff: Document Disposition/Follow-Up:
Send signed copies to Joe Casey.