Peoria City Council Approves Contract Amendment to Expand Reclaimed Water Pipeline

By Jenna-Lee Neff
Graphic Courtesy of the City of Peoria

As part of a plan to expand reclaimed water pipelines and use in the city, the Peoria City Council recently approved a contract amendment in the amount of $1.1 million with multi-national firm GHD.

The expansion will include building more than seven miles of pipeline from the Beardsley Water Reclamation Facility, with construction being completed in four stages to minimize actual construction time while bringing reclaimed water services to the northern part of the city as swiftly as possible, according to officials.

Final designs are expected to be approved this fall and construction should begin shortly after; completion of the project is expected in 2023. Potential users of the pipeline include Paloma Park, Westwing Park, Alta Vista Park, local elementary schools, and Ventana Lakes.

Peoria’s first direct reuse water system was in the Vistancia development. The city treats reclaimed water to A+ standards, the safest and highest quality standard for reclaimed water, according to the city’s website. While the reclaimed water is considered high quality, it is not designed to meet all of the same standards required for drinking water. As with drinking water, the quality of reclaimed water is regulated by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Maricopa Country Environmental Services Department.

According to the FY 2020-2029 Capital Improvement Program, installation of new reclaimed waterlines allows reclaimed water to be used for landscape irrigation in parks, schools, and the city right-of-way. By providing reclaimed water for these customers, the program states that the city helps preserve valuable drinking water resources.

Peoria currently works with new and existing large water customers, including golf courses, parks, schools, cemeteries, industrial and multi-family complexes to provide water service by the city’s reclaimed water distribution system. For more information about water services in the city of Peoria, visit peoriaaz.gov/government/departments/water-services.

Jenna-Lee Neff is a freelance journalist, digital audience analyst, and nonprofit public relations professional. Learn more about her work at jennaleeneff.com.