The city of Phoenix will build a $179 million advanced water purification facility, a core tenement of its ongoing $320 million effort to supplement the local water supply. Officials announced that the project’s construction date will be finalized after the design phase is completed.
The North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) is the latest water purification project approved by the city, following current construction on the Cave Creek AWPF and 91st Avenue AWPF. Once completed, the facility will play an essential role in making housing more affordable for residents.
The project’s vision calls for the facility to treat eight million gallons per day (mgd). Operating alongside the Cave Creek AWPF will culminate in the treatment of more than 14,000-acre feet of potable water per year for direct reuse, according to city officials. Treating water in northern Phoenix will ensure residents have reliable access to a resilient water source without requiring the city to pull from the Colorado River.
The North Gateway facility will accept water from other plants – notably water reclamation and wastewater treatment plants – to be purified for community use. By using a multi-step barrier system, the North Gateway facility will remove pathogens, organics, chemicals, byproducts and reduce salinity before reintegrating the now purified water with the water system. It will supplement additional existing sources that come from groundwater, natural runoff and nearby rivers for distribution to Phoenix’s homes and businesses.
The city received federal support from the Bureau of Reclamation to kickstart the project. As part of the agency’s recent investment in water reuse along the Colorado River Basin, it awarded the full $179 million sum to Phoenix to support the design and construction processes.
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