State agency proposing use of recycled water to meet demands

The Central Arizona Project provides a steady supply of Colorado River water from Parker Dam to the Phoenix metropolitan area. But under a plan by state officials, the region’s reliance on river water and groundwater could be diminished with purified effluent. Cronkite News

ADEQ could lay ground rules for recycled, purified water program to address shortage woes in Arizona

PHOENIX — As the state prepares to make deep cuts under a mandate from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona officials are proposing the use of recycled water to meet demands.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality on Thursday released its Advanced Water Purification Proposed Program Roadmap. The proposal detailed plans for the use of advanced treated water facilities to treat effluent water, and further purify it for use as potable water throughout the state. But doing so would require new permitting and new policies for the use of such water, before the program could be implemented. Potential rules for new advanced water purification facilities and practices could continue throughout next year.

ADEQ officials said this week that recycled water will prove a valuable resource to address Arizona water shortages, while the agency manages advanced water purification measures with protective regulations and long-term goals informed by stakeholders and input from the public. Ultimately, agency officials say the use of recycled water will alleviate water scarcity issues throughout the state, while providing a new source of healthy drinking water to support Arizona’s growing population and economy.

Due to predicted groundwater shortages in Central Arizona, Gov. Katie Hobbs in January called upon the Arizona Department of Water Resources to deny the development of future subdivisions reliant upon groundwater. ADEQ’s proposal may alleviate those shortages, the agency says, but rural Arizona communities may also benefit from the program.

But according to Lake Havasu City Water Sustainability Program Manager Tim Kellett, that program could be years away for Central Arizona. And whether Havasu participates in that program may depend entirely on what rules are applied to the program throughout 2024.

“A lot of (the proposed program) is not done,” Kellett said on Thursday. “They’ll have to look at how they would change permitting or how these facilities would be constructed … it’s an interesting idea, but they’re only beginning to understand what the rules would or could be.”

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said earlier this year that such an option could provide as much as 60 million gallons of water per day to cities within […]

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