Gilbert marks halfway point in major water treatment plant reconstruction 

By Tom Blodgett
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The town of Gilbert celebrated 50% completion of the North Water Treatment Plant reconstruction in a ceremony Tuesday. 

Town officials and project partners gathered Oct. 7 to mark the halfway point of the $692 million project, which began in March 2022 and remains on schedule and within budget. When finished in winter 2028, the upgraded facility will increase production capacity from 45 to 60 million gallons per day and serve up to 250,000 residents and businesses — more than 70% of Gilbert’s water supply. 

“This council has fully embraced the imperative need to plan for Gilbert’s future,” Assistant Town Manager Leah Rhineheimer said. “One of the many ways they’ve done this is by making the decision to invest in this water treatment plant. Our water rates are a significant funding source for this critically important facility, and it could not be built or completed without them.” 

Rhineheimer said the investment underscores the town’s commitment to long-term sustainability.  

“Ultimately, this water treatment plant is about partnering with our community and about serving our community,” she said. 

The plant, which processes surface water from the Salt, Verde and Colorado rivers through the Eastern Canal, was first built decades ago and has faced increasing challenges.  

“This plant produces over half the water that the town uses every single day, and it was facing numerous challenges from construction quality defects to water quality challenges,” Public Works Director Jessica Marlow said in a video presentation shown at the ceremony. 

Reconstruction was deemed essential to meet regulatory standards and prepare for future growth.  

“The new plant construction was designed with all of this in mind with a really robust treatment system and flexibility so that it will continue to be able to treat all of the different water sources given to us to a really high quality,” Gilbert Water Manager Rebecca Hamel said in the town’s presentation. 

Gilbert Senior Project Manager Sarah Rogowski said the milestone reflects steady progress.  

“Reaching the midway milestone is a major accomplishment and reinforces that we’re making strong progress toward our long-term goals for our community,” she said. “The project has remained on schedule and within budget, which is a testament to the team’s focus and hard work.” 

Crews have logged more than a million work hours since construction began.  

“It also means that we are designing a facility and infrastructure that will serve the community for 50 years and beyond,” Rugowski said in the video. 

The next major milestone is expected in summer 2026, when the new plant will begin producing water. 

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Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).