Apache Junction sewer district capacity doubling with $110M loan
Arianna Grainey
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 earlier this year from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority.
Apache Junction’s sewer district will use a $110 million loan to help finance expansions at its wastewater treatment facility.
A design is being worked on and construction is anticipated to begin in early 2025 to increase the Apache Junction Sewer District’s treatment capacity by 3.5 million gallons per day to a new 6.5 million gallons per day.
The expansion is needed to keep ahead of development in the city.
“This facility serves Apache Junction and with more people connecting to sewer, including new developments throughout the city, the additional capacity is needed to continue to offer sewer service to new customers.” AJSD Manager Darron Anglin said in an email.
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 earlier this year from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority. The authority’s governing board voted unanimously Feb. 21 to approve the loan.
WIFA is an independent state authority authorized to finance construction, rehabilitation, acquisition and improvement of water infrastructure throughout Arizona. The authority is governed by its board consisting of nine voting members appointed by the governor and legislative leadership and nine nonvoting ex-officio members representing legislative leadership and relevant agency heads, according to its website.
“For the water reclamation facility expansion project, the sewer district received a $110 million loan from WIFA for design and construction to expand the facility. Out of the $110 million loan, $3.5 million will be in the form of a grant. The project is currently in the design phase,” Anglin said.
The expansion will be adjacent to the sewer district’s facility at Ironwood and Guadalupe. Stantec is the design engineer and Archer Western Construction was hired as the construction manager, he 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.
Board members to the sewer district are appointed by the Apache Junction City Council.
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.
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