TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A month after a water main break sent water flowing for days through the parking lot of a midtown Tucson restaurant, the business owner says improved communication with city officials has left her more optimistic ahead of monsoon season.
The March rupture involved a Tucson Water main near Midway Wash, a drainage channel that runs through the area south of Speedway Boulevard. The break caused flooding near Zayna Mediterranean Restaurant for nearly a week before crews identified the source of the problem.
Restaurant co-owner Leila Hudson said no additional flooding has occurred since the repairs were completed.
“Well we haven’t had any more water run through, and now we have an even stronger relationship with Tucson Water,” Hudson said.
According to Tucson Water, the break was caused by a tree root that damaged the line. The flooding highlighted longstanding concerns about drainage and infrastructure in the area surrounding Midway Wash, where businesses and unhoused residents are frequently affected by runoff and stormwater.
Hudson said the wash has posed challenges for years and that the issues extend beyond infrastructure alone.
“It’s partly from the water, and it’s partly from the fact that until we are able to get decent housing options for everyone in Tucson, that is obviously a problem,” Hudson said.
In the weeks following the break, Tucson Water met with area stakeholders, including business owners, to discuss communication and future operations. Hudson said one major improvement will involve notifying nearby businesses when crews perform routine well flushing, which can temporarily increase water flow in the wash.
“Going forward, the city is going to tell not just us but everybody when they do flushing of the wells,” Hudson said.
A spokesperson for Tucson Water confirmed the stakeholder meeting and said the department “is always working with stakeholders to make them aware of any operations that might impact the community.”
The renewed coordination comes as Southern Arizona approaches monsoon season, which officially begins June 15 and often brings heavy rainfall, flash flooding and runoff concerns to washes across Tucson.
“We have not seen any more water flow through yet, but the monsoon is coming,” Hudson said.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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