Full Description

In response to water quality problems associated with the direct delivery of treated CentralArizona Project (CAP) water from the City's Hayden-Udall Water Treatment Plant between1992 and 1994, Tucson initiated a Customer Focus on Water Quality Program (CFWQP), alsoknown as "At The Tap". The primary goal of this program is to work collectively with theutility's customers to determine an acceptable and affordable future water quality, literally "atthe tap", in area homes and businesses. The CFWQP was implemented in April 1997 as part ofimplementation of the Clearwater Renewable Resource Facility. Clearwater is a phased CAPwater recharge and recovery program under construction in the Avra Valley west of Tucsonadjacent to the Tucson Aqueduct of the CAP. The goal of Clearwater is to recharge and recoverup to 60,000 acre-feet of CAP water annually beginning in 2001 to replace an equivalent amountof mined groundwater pumping by the City in central Tucson, historically causing average watertable declines of about four feet per year.The utility conducted bench- and pilot-scale iron release testing of the impact of various blendsof CAP water and groundwater on extracted galvanized steel water distribution piping as well asstructured flavor profile taste testing by customers of various blends. Subsequently, the Citydeveloped water quality parameters for mitigating previous adverse characteristics. Theseparameters were used to develop a CAP/groundwater blend for potable demonstration for threemonths in each of four selected volunteer neighborhoods (a total demonstration period of oneyear). The demonstration program used a fast-track design/build approach and portable waterstorage, treatment, hauling, and pumping facilities which were designed, permitted, constructed,and placed into operation in less than four months for the first neighborhood. The demonstrationprogram, also termed the "Ambassador Neighborhoods Program" by the City, included thefollowing elements:creation of neighborhood contact teams to respond to customer questions and to solicitfeedback about the new blended supply; and,free distribution of blended water in five-gallon dispensers and half-liter sports bottles atdozens of public and private facilities and public events throughout metropolitan Tucson.As a result of extensive forethought by Tucson Water management and its consultant team andhard work by hundreds of dedicated operational staff, the utility began delivering 20,000 acrefeetper year in the first phase of recovered Clearwater supply on May 3, 2001. The blendedwater is primarily native groundwater at this time but will gradually transition to renewableCentral Arizona Project water as more water is recharged and recovered from the facility. Theblend has been very well received by the community, as reflected in the utility's receiving nocustomer complaints to date specific to the new source. Includes tables, figures.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 06/16/2002 Number of Pages: 16File Size: 1 file , 990 KB