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Johnson Utilities works to Clean up Spill |
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Johnson Utilities is disinfecting a polluted wash close to the Pecan Creek neighborhood near where the utility spilled more than 10,000 gallons of sewage about four months ago. The privately owned utility and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality worked out a deal this week that would satisfy state regulators.
On Monday, Johnson Utilities was attempting to disinfect the wash with potassium permanganate, a chemical that is billed as being a relatively low risk to fish, according to a portion of the consent order agreed to by ADEQ and Johnson Utilities.
There's no indication that fish live in the seasonal wash. However, ADEQ had shot down an earlier proposal by Johnson Utilities to chlorinate it because of the detrimental effect it could have on wildlife in the area. A resolution took months of back and forth between the utility and ADEQ.
"The bottom line was this - chlorine is toxic," said Mark Shaffer, communications director for ADEQ. "The use of potassium permanganate isn't, in the dosage approved for this operation."
The utility spilled more than 10,000 gallons of sewage in mid-May when sewage pumps became clogged and overloaded near the Pecan Water Reclamation Plant, located on Gantzel Road south of Chandler Heights Road. Several thousand gallons flowed through a spillway and into the wash, according to ADEQ's findings.
Johnson Utilities, however, has disputed that their leak of raw sewage has led to elevated levels in the waterway of E. coli, a potentially hazardous bacteria. Company officials assert that most of the raw sewage was cleaned up before it reached the wash.
The Tribune has the full story.
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Who says there's no Free Lunch* |
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Concerned about the latest developments in the Total Coliform and Groundwater Rules? The Water Utility Association of Arizona is hosting a technical conference to make sure that water company owners and operators—as well as other interested parties--are up to speed on the latest developments.
The conference will be at the ARPA Building at 916 West Adams in downtown Phoenix on the morning of Friday September 25th.
Donna Calderon, Manager of the Drinking Water Monitoring and Protection Unit Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will be our guest speaker. We will start at 9:30 with bagels and coffee and then at 10:00 Donna will provide a 50 minute update of the Total Coliform Rule. Then we will have a 10 minute break and she will provide a 50 minute lecture on the Ground Water Rule. Then we will have lunch. We will also provide Continuing Education Certificates for those who need them.
This event is free to both WUAA Members and Non Members.
To RSVP, please email Greg Patterson at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
*Footnote: Not only is lunch free, but we also promise that we won't serve it during the Total Coliform Lecture. |
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The Republican candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission debated at the Lincoln Republican Women's forum on Monday. It's a great example of grassroots retail politics. You have probably seen pictures of candidates in cafes in New Hampshire. Arizona is still small enough that we do the same thing. Here's a picture from the event. WUAA Director Greg Patterson moderated the debate. Here Mr. Patterson is giving opening remarks and reminding the crowd about the importance of the race. Candidates from left to right: Hon John Allen, Rick Fowlkes, Keith Swapp, Joe Hobbs, Rep. Marrion McClure, Rep. Bob Stump and Speaker Pro Tem Bob Robson.
Here's a link to an article about the event.
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SRP's water director John Sullivan was one of the speakers at the WUAA water luncheon and said that the reservoirs on the Salt and Verde are full. Here's more information from the SRP website.
"The probability of a drier-than-normal monsoon season and the forecast of a potentially dry La Nina winter in 2011 aren't enough to diminish the excitement of SRP water managers, who enter the summer months pleased that the reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers are nearly full and operating exactly as they're designed.
Charlie Ester, manager of Water Resource Operations, said SRP's six reservoirs on the Salt and Verde enter summer in great shape following one of the most beneficial runoff seasons on record. SRP's reservoirs are currently at 96 percent of capacity with about 2,222,000 acre feet of water -- thanks to a final January-through-May runoff total of 1,430,841 acre-feet, one of the 20th best in SRP's 107-year history and 209 percent above the median runoff of 683,635 acre-feet for the two river systems."
Here's a link to the full story. |
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Town will not intervene in Chaparral City rate request |
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Fountain Hills will not intervene in a possible water-rate hike that would affect 25,000 water users in the Fountain Hills area.
Chaparral City Water Co. recently mailed out notices about the hike that would bump the average monthly household bill by $12, to $44, from $32.
The utility, which is a separate entity from Fountain Hills, is seeking a revenue increase of $3 million to improve its infrastructure, secure a long-term water supply and account for inflation.
Fountain Hills this week opted not to formally intervene in the case.
Instead, the town will support the Residential Utility Consumer Office, a state-funded group that supports consumers in utility cases.
The Republic has the full story.
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