Tucson is set to approve changes for large water users. Advocates say they aren’t strict enough.

The Tucson City Council is scheduled to review proposed amendments to its large water user ordinance on Tuesday, facing criticism from environmental advocates and residents who contend the changes are insufficient. The original ordinance was fast-tracked in August 2025 following public outcry over "Project Blue," a large data center proposal that would have required hundreds of millions of gallons of water annually. The City Council ultimately rejected the annexation request for the data center's land.

Over the past year, city officials engaged a stakeholder group to develop revisions to enhance water supply protection. However, local environmental leaders, including Catlow Shipek and Lisa Shipek of Watershed Management Group, argue these invite-only discussions lacked broad community outreach and that the proposed changes still lack measurable requirements. They specifically advocate for lowering the threshold for defining a "large water user" from 7.48 million gallons per month to 1.87 million gallons, a change that would encompass significantly more existing water users.

Proposed changes from Tucson Water include requiring applicants to offset at least 30% of their water use with reclaimed water and submitting a water conservation plan. Council members Miranda Schubert and Kevin Dahl have also expressed concerns about the current threshold, with Dahl suggesting a net-zero water development approach for new large industries. The city also aims to close loopholes by aggregating water use across a customer's entire premises. A public hearing is scheduled for September 22nd to gather additional community input as the city grapples with long-term water sustainability, particularly in light of expected reductions in Colorado River water distribution.