Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 75 No. 31
INSIDE
This Week THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
NEWS...............2 Kids in crisis, not enough help
SPORTS ........ 15 Sons of O’Neal, Wade forging own paths at GCU
OPINION..................... 10 BUSINESS.................. 12 SPORTS ...................... 14 CALENDAR ................ 16 FEATURES.................. 18 RELIGION ................... 22 YOUTH........................ 26 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 27
August 1, 2019
Water treatment plant upgrades continue BY CONNOR DZIAWURA
Glendale Star Managing Editor
With initial upgrades to the Pyramid Peak Water Treatment Plant complete, a second phase of construction is now underway. The full project includes more than $52.5 million to expand the facility, paid for by the city of Peoria; and approximately $25 million in improvements shared with the city of Glendale. Work is tentatively estimated to take another two years, with an estimated completion of summer 2021. The plant, which is located off Pyramid Peak Parkway, east of Peoria’s East Wing Mountain Preserve, is jointly owned by the two West Valley cities.
While originally commissioned in 1986, according to Cape Powers, Peoria’s water services director, his city came into 23% ownership 10 years later. Glendale, which maintains a 77% stake in the facility, operates it. The facility serves the northern portion of Glendale as well as Peoria’s Vistancia community and other parts of north Peoria. “This plant treats Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project canal, and then the rest of the city can take Salt River Project water,” explained Ron Serio, Glendale’s deputy water services director. “Salt River Project water is restricted for use on Salt River Project-covered areas, and areas outside of that you can’t use Salt
Study: Glendale has 9th healthiest housing market
River Project water. So, this plant and this source of water fills that need; it gives us the ability to serve those other areas with a different source of water.” The ongoing construction project has two components, Serio said. First are improvements to the existing plant, costs of which are shared between the two cities. Beyond that, the facility will be expanded to increase treatment capacity, though the expanded portion will exclusively serve and be paid for by the city of Peoria. Currently rated to treat 48 million gallons of water per day (MGD) but operating on a reliable capacity of 39 MGD, the expansion will increase the facility to a capacity of 54 SEE WATER PAGE 4
Living Room • Bedroom Children’s Furniture • Dining Room • Electronics Outdoor Furniture • Office/Entertainment
BY PAUL MARYNIAK
Glendale Star Staff Writer
Glendale has the ninth healthiest housing market among American cities with a population of more than 200,000, according to a new study. Smart Asset, a technology company that provides personal finance advice online, ranked Glendale behind other Valley cities — Chandler and Mesa — but ahead of Gilbert in its top-10 rankings. “Homeowners in a healthy market should be able to easily sell their homes, with a relatively low risk of losing money,” Smart Asset said. To determine market health, the site analyzed SEE MARKET PAGE 4
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