TUCSON, ARIZONA (Sept. 17, 2026) — The Tucson City Council will consider a proposed agreement with Warbird National on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that could accelerate cleanup of PFAS contaminated groundwater near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base while supporting development of a veterans golf, aviation and education complex. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” have been used in firefighting foam and numerous industrial and consumer products.
The proposed memorandum of understanding would establish a framework for negotiations among the City of Tucson, Warbird National and the U.S. Air Force. It would not authorize construction or commit the parties to a final development agreement, but city officials describe it as an important first step toward addressing contamination that threatens Tucson’s long term water supply.
City Manager Tim Thomure warned the Mayor and Council that PFAS compounds originating near Davis-Monthan have moved into portions of Tucson’s central wellfield. The city has removed 24 wells from service because of contamination and designated another eight for emergency use only.
The central wellfield, which extends through portions of Tucson’s urban core, midtown and east side, was once the city’s largest source of drinking water. Tucson has relied primarily on renewable Colorado River water delivered through the Central Arizona Project during the past two decades, but uncertainty surrounding future Colorado River supplies has increased the importance of protecting the city’s groundwater reserves.
“This PFAS plume has already impacted a number of Tucson Water’s production wells in the central wellfield, and if it is left unaddressed, the city’s long-term water supply is in significant danger,” Thomure wrote in his communication to the council.
PFAS, commonly called forever chemicals because they persist in the environment, have been used in firefighting foam and numerous industrial and consumer products. Cleanup near military installations has often proceeded slowly through the federal Superfund process.
According to Thomure, Tucson’s cleanup has not received a high federal priority because the city prevents PFAS contaminated groundwater from entering its drinking water system. While that protects customers, it also means the contamination can continue spreading underground as the city waits for a comprehensive federal response.
The proposed partnership is intended to shorten that timeline. City officials estimate that a treatment system could potentially be designed and constructed within 18 to 24 months, several years sooner than the process currently being evaluated by the Air Force.
The system would be designed to capture, treat and beneficially reuse approximately 1.75 million gallons of groundwater per day from Davis-Monthan, along with additional contaminated groundwater collected from areas outside the base.
Much of the treated water would support an 18-hole golf course envisioned by Warbird National, a nonprofit organization led by former Air Force veterans. Additional treated water could be used at other city facilities.
Warbird National’s broader concept includes a championship golf course, outdoor aviation exhibits, public amenities and a Center for Learning and Winning. The educational component would provide science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs for young people, along with services and programming for veterans and the military community.
The organization’s plans describe a golf course integrated with displays of retired military aircraft, creating a destination intended to recognize military service while generating support for veterans programs.
Mayor Regina Romero said the partnership could help protect Tucson’s aquifer while advancing cleanup of a longstanding contamination problem.
“Keeping Tucson’s water supply safe and secure remains one of my top priorities,” Romero said. “This public-private partnership has the potential to allow us to cleanup a PFAS plume and keep our aquifer safe.”
Tucson Water Director John Kmiec said the proposal offers an opportunity to move the groundwater cleanup forward while putting the treated water to productive use without reducing water available to Tucson customers.
Funding details have not been finalized. City officials anticipate that federal funding and private money raised by Warbird National would pay for the cleanup and related infrastructure, with no cost to Tucson Water ratepayers. Earlier discussions referenced the possibility of approximately $20 million in federal funding, although no final award or financing package has been announced.
Several major questions also remain unanswered. The proposed memorandum does not identify the golf course location, the size of the development site or the total cost of the project. It also does not represent a binding commitment from the Air Force to fund or undertake the cleanup.
If approved, the memorandum would serve as a statement of intent and a basis for negotiating a legally binding intergovernmental or definitive agreement. Those negotiations would establish the responsibilities of the city, Warbird National and federal participants before cleanup or development could begin.
The council’s Sept. 22 vote will therefore determine whether Tucson proceeds with formal negotiations, not whether the treatment system and veterans complex receive final authorization.
Even at this preliminary stage, the proposal presents an unusual model for addressing one of Tucson’s most serious water infrastructure challenges: pairing environmental remediation with a privately supported recreational, educational and veterans destination.