The history of Tucson waterworks begins in 1881, when the mayor, R.N. Leatherwood, received a franchise to construct a system to meet the needs of the growing city. The following year, citizens of Tucson celebrated as the first water from the new system gushed from a hydrant at the corner of Congress Street and Main Avenue. The water was pumped from the Santa Cruz River and flowed by gravity through a single 10-inch pipe.

In the 1930s, city planners concentrated on designing and financing additions to the system. During that time, Tucson also launched the first of many education programs to urge residents to conserve water resources. As the city grew, particularly after WWII and into the 1960s, Tucson pumped a significant amount of groundwater, leading to land subsidence, or land sinking.

In the latter half of the 20th Century, the Arizona legislature passed several laws requiring Tucson to reduce reliance on the limited supply of groundwater and concentrate on using the renewable water supplies of the Colorado River. The Central Arizona Project first delivered Colorado River water in the early 1990s, but many residents complained about the Tucson water quality.

Today, Tucson Water sources from approximately 200 groundwater wells, serving over 736,000 people in the area. According to a recent Tucson Water Quality report, the city uses a recharge and recovery process, which eliminates over-pumping from groundwater resources by recharging and storing water pumped from the Colorado River into the groundwater supplies.

While this process prevents the land surrounding Tucson from sinking, it can produce drinking water with high levels of mineral content. Many Tucson residents complain of reddish or cloudy water, resulting from the blended Colorado River water and groundwater.