Tucson Water Turnaround

In the 1990s, Tucson Water changed water sources without considering the limitations of their existing distribution system or the taste and odor effects for customers. The new water caused pipe corrosion for customers, damaged the distribution system, and created a public relations nightmare. The authors’ first-hand experiences, first-person recollections, and newly unearthed records tell the story of how this crisis developed and how it was solved. Exhaustive research undertaken by the authors paints a detailed picture of how this crisis occurred, ineffectual attempts to address the problem, and how a new team finally solved Tucson’s water woes. The book is a case study on how to avoid disasters such as the Flint lead crisis and other utility crises resulting from changing water supplies or water treatment. Critical takeaways provide readers with a quick summary of the most valuable information in the last chapter. Each key takeaway can be adapted and applied to any utility attempting to resolve or communicate a crisis.