The city of Tempe has long had a symbiotic relationship with the university residing within its borders.
Arizona State University officials meet with the Tempe City Council annually in a public meeting and the two entities often discuss mutual issues, such as traffic, housing, research and more. With ASU’s history as the country’s most innovative university and Tempe quickly becoming a center for technology, it would appear to be a match made in heaven.
That’s clear when it comes to the partnership the two entities have established with its nationally-recognized wastewater testing program, which began in 2018 to determine the spread of opioid addiction in Tempe. ASU first approached the city on the matter through its Biodesign Institute. The Tempe City Council awarded the program $35,000 to start, which ASU then matched.
