Work progressing on Apache Junction sewer district expansion

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

With Apache Junction Sewer District’s existing water reclamation facility nearing capacity, a treatment plant upgrade and expansion are underway to meet community demands.

To help pay for the project expected to be completed in 2027, a $110 million loan to be paid back over 30 years was secured from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority.

A large hole has been dug behind the administration buildings at 5661 S. Ironwood Drive, as part of the work to increase the treatment capacity by 3.5 million gallons per day to a new 6.5 million gallons per day.

Excavation for headworks and the new process basin have been completed. Also, underslab drains for the new process were installed, according to a written staff report.

“Big holes in the ground, digging some drains under them. Encased those in concrete, which is cool; and they are going to start doing big pours in the next month or so. So we’ll start seeing some actual structures out there, which will be neat,” District Engineer Anne Latimer said during the sewer district board’s June 24 meeting. “It’s cool to see it change with the big holes in the ground but I always like the structures part.”

Several cameras are snapping a time-lapse record of the work, she said.

Superstition Mountains Community Facilities District No. 1 — now known as the Apache Junction Sewer District — was formed by Apache Junction City Council in July 1992.

At its start-up in January 1996, the district’s collection system served 1,000 customers. Today, its collection system serves more than 7,000 customers and includes more than 115 miles of pipe and a lift station to convey wastewater to its water reclamation facility. The district’s service area has grown from 17 square miles to more than 50 square miles, according to its website.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.