CITY OF TUCSON WASTE WATER EFFLUENT DELIVERY FACILITY1

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The Tucson area is totally dependent on ground water, which is in increasingly short supply due to excessive overdrafts. Tucson area waste water treatment plants discharge material quantities of secondary effluent downstream, which is lost to evapotranspiration and recharge of the ground water basin. The city and the four large mining companies who share the common Santa Cruz basin ground water, recognized the common water supply problem and agreed to fund a feasibility study for mining process use of the effluent to partly alleviate the overdraft of ground water. The study analyzed the projected waste water effluent resources, potential mining company demand for waste water effluent and possible interface of an effluent delivery facility with the proposed Central Arizona Project. The effluent resources were analyzed with respect to potential demand. An optimum alignment was selected. An optimum system was detailed through design schematics, amortized cost and finance requirements, and an implementation schedule. It was concluded that a waste water effluent delivery facility could be implemented which would utilize reclaimed effluent in quantities approximating 35 percent of basin overdraft and which would provide revenue for full cost recovery over a 20 year operation period. The mining companies are studying the internal economic impacts of the project.