City News

CITY NEWS SCOTTSDALE WATER ISSUED ARIZONA’S FIRST PERMIT FOR DIRECT USE OF RECYCLED WATER

By Nicole Sherbert, Public information officer

THE ADVANCED WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT THE SCOTTSDALE WATER CAMPUS RECENTLY BECAME THE STATE’S FIRST – AND ONE OF ONLY THREE IN THE NATION – PERMANENT WATER TREATMENT FACILITY PERMITTED TO TREAT RECYCLED WATER FOR POTABLE WATER USES. The groundbreaking permit effectively establishes a model for cities across Arizona to begin working towards reusing their precious water resources for future, long-term water sustainability.

“Scottsdale Water has always been at the forefront of water reuse innovation,” said Scottsdale Water Executive Director Brian K. Biesemeyer. “We have been successfully operating our Advanced Water Treatment Plant to treat recycled water to ultrapure standards for over two decades. We are extremely proud to help not just Arizona cities, but communities worldwide, establish a path toward direct potable reuse and long-term water sustainability.”

The Advanced Water Treatment Plant at the Scottsdale Water Campus has been performing indirect potable reuse – recharging ultrapure water into the drinking water aquifer – for over 20 years. The facility takes tertiary effluent from the city’s conventional water reclamation plant and further treats it through ozonation, membrane ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet photolysis. The AWT can treat up to 20 million gallons of water a day to a water quality standard that exceeds that of bottled water. Due primarily to the AWT, Scottsdale has recharged over 70 billion gallons into regional aquifers since 1988.

While the water produced by the AWT is considered ultrapure, up until 2018, there was a regulatory prohibition in Arizona against using recycled water for direct potable use. Last year, the State approved removing the prohibition, which allowed the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to permit water systems for direct potable reuse.

“As technology has advanced, so has our ability to monitor water reuse to the highest standards,” said Misael Cabrera, Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. “With the rule change, ADEQ can now permit water systems with the highest level of expertise – such as Scottsdale Water – to employ innovative approaches to ensure the quality and quantity of Arizona’s water supply today and into the future.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

While Scottsdale has the technical ability to treat recycled water to a level exceeding drinking water quality standards, the city will not be sending recycled water into the drinking water system. Instead, Scottsdale will continue to meet customer needs through its diverse water supply portfolio, which includes using indirect potable reuse to recharge the aquifer for future beneficial use.

Other cities, however, are actively pursuing direct potable reuse as a long-term water source and Scottsdale’s executed permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should help guide them down that path.

“Through aggressive aquifer recharge and our unique public-private partnership with local golf courses, Scottsdale is already maximizing the use of our collected wastewater,” explained Biesemeyer. “We pursued the DPR permit for demonstration purposes and to help other water providers define their paths toward optimal water reuse.”

With the regulatory change in place and the DPR permit issued, the next step is addressing public perception about drinking recycled water.

“It can be a hurdle,” recognized Nicole Sherbert, Scottsdale Water’s Public Information Officer who is heading up Scottsdale’s efforts to normalize public perception about direct potable reuse. “Convincing people that water from their sinks, showers, washing machines and, yes, toilets, can be cleaned to ultrapure standards can be a tough sell, but through education and transparency, I’m confident we’ll get there.” The first step for Scottsdale in moving that public perception needle is to introduce the recycled water through something consumers might find initially more palatable. Namely…Beer!

This November 8 and 9, Scottsdale Water and Canal Convergence – the city’s premier arts and education event – will host the world’s first beer festival featuring only craft beers brewed with recycled water. The One Water Brewing Showcase at Canal Convergence will spotlight ten Valley breweries who will be crafting and serving beer made from water delivered directly from Scottsdale’s Advanced Water Treatment Plant.

“Uncle Bear’s is thrilled to be part of the One Water Brewing Showcase because water is so important to beer!” said Andrew Bauman, Head Brewer for Uncle Bear’s Brewery in Gilbert. “Although all water is recycled water, we’re impressed by the incredible system Scottsdale has implemented to make the cleanest water possible. The future of water for Arizona, and for the next generations, is happening right now and it’s awesome to get to be a part of this project.”

The One Water Brewing Showcase is free to attend and will feature five breweries each night. Guests will be able to purchase individual full-size draft beers or sampler flights to taste all five.

In addition to the beer showcase, Scottsdale holds a controlled number of educational events at the Scottsdale Water Campus throughout the year and visitors to the facility will now be able to taste the purified water directly from the source as part of future Advanced Water Treatment Plant tours.

“This is a major step forward for the future of water treatment and supply,” concluded Biesemeyer. “By leading the efforts to not only implement the technology for DPR, but also to influence both regulatory implementation and public perception, Scottsdale Water is continuing to exemplify our vision of water sustainability through stewardship, innovation and people.”

For more information about the Advanced Water Treatment Plant and a water quality report for the DPR water being used for the One Water Brewing Showcase, visit ScottsdaleAz.gov and search “recycled water.”

CYCLISTS GEAR UP TOUR DE SCOTTSDALE 16TH ANNUAL TOUR DE SCOTTSDALE preserve users. Some of whom might not otherwise BENEFITTING THE MCDOWELL SONORAN have the chance to develop a knowledge and love CONSERVANCY WILL HAVE NEARLY 2,000 for the vast and marvelous makeup of the Sonoran CYCLISTS RIDING ITS 30- AND 70-MILE Desert in which they live.” COURSES Conservancy, a nonprofit conservation organization Carole Perry, who created the festival in the northern

ABOUT EMPTY BOWLS

On Friday, October 18, 2019, the annual Foothills Empty Bowls Lunch & Art Auction to honor World Hunger Day will be held at Harold’s Corral, Ariz., in Cave Creek, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sonoran Arts League of Cave Creek sponsors the event. According to Pam DiPietro, executive director of Foothills Food Bank, an online auction will be on the food bank’s website, foothillsfoodbank.com, giving people the opportunity to bid on 100 fine art and craft items donated by members and friends of the Sonoran Arts League. Family and friends will cheer on the riders and Hosted by DC Ranch, the annual Tour de Scottsdale enjoy the fun on Market Street in DC Ranch. Live features a 70-mile and 30-mile ride with up to 2,000 music by the 70’s All Stars hits the stage at 8 cyclists gathering on Market Street. The event a.m. as riders return. New this year, a beer garden begins at 6:30 a.m. on October 13 and allows riders sponsored by Hensley will be the perfect spot to enjoy spectacular scenery while supporting the to sip a cold brew with proceeds benefitting the legacy and protecting the future of the McDowell Conservancy. Local merchants and restaurants will Sonoran Preserve. also have special promotions. Riders can enjoy The event beneficiary is the McDowell Sonoran lounge spaces to unwind. that protects and promotes the McDowell “The Tour de Scottsdale is a unique event in that Sonoran Preserve in North Scottsdale. Now in you circumnavigate the very thing that our event its 16th year, the Tour de Scottsdale donates 100 benefits – the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. It serves percent of sponsorship proceeds and a portion of as a stunning desert backdrop while riders tackle registration fees to the Conservancy and has raised steady climbs and sweeping hills. I enjoy seeing the over $600,000 to date. Lori Calhoun from the different generations and levels of riders who come Conservancy says, “With the money raised from together for a wonderful cause in our community,” the Tour we can develop and grow our education says Gabi Enriquez, Tour spokesperson. To register programs. The programs both in and out of the for the race, volunteer during the event or find more classroom will reach thousands of students and information, please visit TourdeScottsdale.net.

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EMPTY BOWLS LUNCH & ART AUCTION ARIZONA CITIZENS KNOW MORE ABOUT “We are excited to offer the auction online so people GIVING BACK THAN ANYONE, SO SEVERAL who support this worthy cause can spend the quality INDUSTRIOUS VOLUNTEERS ARE PLANNING time they need to research the bid items,’ says TO COME TOGETHER AT A CAVE CREEK DiPietro. “This has always been an amazing event ART STUDIO TO DESIGN BEAUTIFUL with a great turnout. The online art auction began GLASS BOWLS THAT WILL HELP HUNGRY September 3, 2019 (and ends on the day of the NEIGHBORS IN NEED. event) and the artwork will be present for viewing desert foothills more than 19 years ago, says 100 Lunch will be served in handmade ceramic or glass percent of the proceeds will be donated to the bowls. Individuals are encouraged to donate $15 to Foothills Food Bank & Resource Center, and will the cause and select their own unique bowl made by support its ongoing effort to provide emergency food Arizona artists, and keep it as a lasting reminder of and services to area families in need of assistance. world hunger.

stretch and recovery areas, chair massages and during lunch with the auction closing at 1:00 p.m. The Sonoran Arts League, Harold’s Corral and Tech4Life sponsor the Foothills Empty Bowls & Art Auction 2019. Other donors include Saguaro and Cactus Shadows High School students, Arizona Clay, Sonoran Trails MS and Paradise Valley Community College ceramics students and local potters and artists who make and donate the bowls and auction items.

For more information, call 480.488.6070. Proceeds benefit the Foothills Food Bank & Resource Center. Harold’s Corral is located at 6895 E. Cave Creek Road.

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SCOTTSDALE NORTH PICKLEBALL AND DOG PARK ON BALLOT THIS YEAR! CITY OF SCOTTSDALE BOND FIRST MAIL ONLY VOTE HAPPENS ON NOVEMBER 5 By Scott Gaertner by mail. Every registered voter in Scottsdale will ment, packed around the pork-barrel projects like be sent a ballot with prepaid return postage to cast Sevano are also a lot of old maintenance items the ONE YEAR AGO, THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE their ballot. city hasn’t had the wherewithal to handle with past HAD ITS FIRST OPEN MEETING TO DISCUSS budgets. Ultimately, if you want the city to parBUILDING A PARK ON A PROPERTY AT In a phone interview, Bill Murphy, Assistant City ticipate in creating Scottsdale North’s first park, ASHLER HILLS DRIVE AND 74TH STREET Manager, said that if the bond passes that the city this bond has to pass. So, even if you don’t want CALLED SEVANO PARK. About 200 very will build the park in two phases. Currently, the to pay for the other $313 million dollars worth of interested residents showed up at that meeting plan is to build a number of pickleball courts, items earmarked for funding from the bond, please to make their voices heard, and we thought you some grass areas with playgrounds, bathrooms, be sure to check your mailbox this month, swallow would like an update on what’s happening now. and parking. This was essentially the same plan hard, and then VOTE NOVEMBER 5! Since that time, the Scottsdale City Council unanimously agreed to seek voter approval to issue Murphy mentioned that the city did not believe bonds for 58 community projects totaling $319 that there was enough room to build both million. Sevano Park is one of those 58 projects, pickleball courts and a dog park, so the next and it was allotted a budget of just over $6 million. “off-leash” dog park will be located further The 58 projects will appear on the ballot grouped south, off Thompson Peak Road. There is a into three specific questions for voters to approve $4.6 million budget for the dog park. For those as initiatives: (1) parks, recreation, and senior of you interested in the dog park, Murphy said services; (2) community spaces and infrastructure; that nothing is cast in stone right now and that and (3) public safety and technology. there will be more public meetings to discuss the The November 5 bond will be the City of they proposed at a meeting last February. subject. Scottsdale’s first election conducted completely As things always seem to work with the govern-

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