Member Spotlight | Integra Homes & Land: Building Community Through “Pies in the Pines”
By Dennis Riccio, President, Central Arizona Association of REALTORS®
At our November 5 CAAR Business Breakfast, we were joined by Melissa Durbin, Manager of the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District (PSWID), who offered an informative and candid overview of the water challenges and infrastructure progress in Pine and Strawberry.
Melissa Durbin PSWID Manager
Melissa began by explaining that any system with 15 or more water connections or serving 25 or more people qualifies as a public water system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. That classification brings with it a range of state and federal compliance standards and a growing list of challenges for small rural districts like PSWID.
A Brief History of the District
Formed in 1996, PSWID took over a patchwork of small, privately operated water systems that had served various areas of Pine and Strawberry. Over time, the district has worked to modernize, consolidate, and stabilize those systems.
Durbin highlighted key milestones in PSWID’s development, as shown in her presentation:
The district has faced years of severe water shortages, particularly in Strawberry, where some wells have run dry and water hauling became essential. Durbin emphasized that while supply has improved in recent years, growth and drought resilience remain ongoing concerns. Currently, the district cannot approve new hookups in some service areas until additional capacity is established.
One major improvement is the “SV3” project, a new storage and pumping facility that will significantly boost water reliability for the community. According to Durbin, SV3 is expected to come online by next summer, delivering approximately 85 gallons per minute. This expansion will help stabilize supply and prepare the system for future demand.
Durbin also discussed ongoing efforts to secure state and federal funding, including potential grants through the Economic Development Administration (EDA). These funds are essential for upgrading infrastructure, drilling new wells, and continuing the district’s mission of delivering safe, sustainable water to residents.
The Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District (PSWID) currently maintains a flat connection fee of $10,000 per new water meter, regardless of the distance to the service line. This uniform rate, while designed to streamline administrative processing and fund the infrastructure required for new service connections, has also become a practical barrier for many property owners who are not yet ready to build.
At present, the district is issuing five new water meters per month, a restriction originally implemented to balance demand against limited system capacity. That policy is expected to be revisited in upcoming board meetings, particularly as the SV3 deep well and related improvements increase available supply.
There remains a waiting list for new meters, but according to Durbin, the list is now nearly exhausted. The $10,000 connection charge has contributed to this gradual attrition. Many property owners choose to defer installation until they are ready to develop their lots or secure financing. This means that, while some names remain on the list, actual meter uptake has been slower than originally projected.
From an operational standpoint, the flat fee helps the district maintain fairness across applicants and ensures that the cost of expansion is not subsidized by existing ratepayers. However, it also underscores a tension common in small rural districts: balancing financial sustainability with community growth and affordability.
As PSWID’s new supply projects come online, particularly SV3, board members are expected to reassess the monthly meter issuance limit and potentially adjust the connection policy to reflect improved system capacity.
For Realtors and developers, this dynamic is critical. Buyers evaluating vacant parcels should understand that a $10,000 meter fee is standard and due when service is requested. Those on the waiting list should also monitor PSWID updates closely, as the timing of fee payment and meter installation may affect both construction schedules and budgeting for new builds.
Ultimately, as the district modernizes its infrastructure and stabilizes its water portfolio, policies like these are likely to evolve, moving the community closer to a sustainable balance between growth, conservation, and long-term financial health.
PSWID continues to address one of its most persistent challenges, water loss from system leakage, which currently remains around 30 percent. According to Durbin, much of that loss occurs along the main transmission line carrying water from Pine to Strawberry. A portion of this line known as the Ralls line along Ralls road, a 6-inch plastic main, has been in service for years and experiences pressure fluctuations and small leaks due to its age and the long distances involved in moving water uphill.
A major line replacement project is scheduled, targeting this critical section of the system. Once completed, the new pipeline, constructed with modern materials and improved pressure management, will significantly reduce leakage and improve overall system efficiency.
Reducing transmission loss is a key step in strengthening the district’s water reliability. Every gallon saved through infrastructure upgrades translates into more supply for residents, less strain on pumping operations, and better long-term sustainability for both Pine and Strawberry.
The Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District (PSWID) has long recognized that bringing its system fully up to modern standards would require substantial investment. According to Melissa Durbin, the district initially sought $130 million in federal funding to overhaul and modernize its entire infrastructure; replacing aging lines, improving storage, and expanding production capacity.
To date, PSWID has successfully secured approximately $20 million in federal money according to Durbin. These funds have already been put to work, financing the replacement of many main water lines throughout the system. The upgraded mains are designed to improve flow, reduce leakage, and enhance service reliability for both Pine and Strawberry residents.
While the district continues to pursue additional funding to reach its long-term infrastructure goals, these initial projects mark a significant step forward. Each completed phase not only strengthens the water system’s resilience but also builds confidence among residents and regulators that PSWID is moving steadily toward a sustainable and compliant future.
Melissa’s presentation underscored the importance of community engagement and conservation. As more people move into the Rim Country area, local residents and real estate professionals alike must understand the realities of water supply and infrastructure limitations. Sustainable development, conservation education, and support for long-term planning are key to maintaining the quality of life that makes Pine and Strawberry so special.
On behalf of CAAR, we thank Melissa Durbin and the PSWID team for their dedication and transparency. Their continued work is critical to ensuring a reliable water future for our mountain communities.
What is SV3?
“SV3” is the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District’s next major supply site in Strawberry, a package of improvements that includes a new deep-well source, on-site pumping, and modern storage so the water can be moved reliably into the distribution system. In Melissa Durbin’s slides, SV3 is shown as the district’s current build-out focus
Where We Are Today ‘SV3’ Power Point Slide
Why the district needs it
For years, Strawberry has been the system’s pinch-point: local wells are comparatively weaker and seasonal demand is spiky, which has forced the district to rely on water moved from Pine and, during shortages, on emergency hauling. That exposure shows up in PSWID’s timeline of fixes; emergency hauling during a major outage, pump and motor replacements, and successive rounds of line upgrades. SV3 is designed to change the Strawberry side from “chronically constrained” to “locally supplied and buffered.”
What’s being built at SV3
Performance & timeline (from Melissa’s remarks at the breakfast)
How SV3 improves day-to-day operations
What it could mean for growth & new meters
How residents and professionals can help
SV3 is the right project in the right place: a new deep-well, pump, and storage site built to relieve Strawberry’s supply bottleneck, improve reliability system-wide, and set the table for measured, sustainable growth. For our members, that means clearer conversations with clients, fewer last-minute water surprises, and a stronger outlook for the Rim Country communities we serve.
Sources: PSWID presentation by Melissa Durbin at the Nov. 5, 2025 Business Breakfast (speaker remarks); PSWID slide deck showing the district’s history and current SV3 construction photos (slides 4–6).
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