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Cave Creek utility directors report lead-line inventory, AMI meters and Phoenix interconnect progress
Summary
Utilities staff told council they have completed the lead service line inventory required by Oct. 16, are advancing automatic meter infrastructure (AMI) and continue construction on the Phoenix interconnect and reservoir — steps council and staff said will improve metering, water accounting and long-term supply resilience.
Town utilities staff reported several near-term compliance and infrastructure milestones during the Oct. 7 council meeting, including completion of the required lead service line inventory, continuing testing of candidate wells, progress on the Phoenix interconnect reservoir and ongoing work toward an AMI meter rollout.
Deputy and utilities director Sean Cruzvisor and Nick Larson said staff had worked with consultant Hazen and Sawyer to compile and upload the required inventories to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) ahead of the Oct. 16 deadline. Cruzvisor cautioned that “unknown” service lines remain and that the town will have to notify customers where the inventory cannot confirm materials.
Cruzvisor said the inventory had not yet identified any confirmed lead service lines. He noted that next steps under federal requirements include expanded lead-and-copper sampling (40 samples every six months in affected areas) and, if lead lines are found, a replacement plan with a 10‑year timeline.
Staff also reported progress on metering and water resources: the town has acquired Neptune meters and is preparing to deploy collector sites for an AMI system that will provide near–hourly usage data. The program requires federal approvals for collector sites; Cruzvisor said the town has received a partial clearance and expects final clearance “in the next few weeks,” after which installations and contractor solicitations tied to Davis‑Bacon rules will proceed.
On regional water resources, Cruzvisor said the town now holds nearly 1,700 acre‑feet in long‑term storage account credits and expects to add roughly another 600–690 acre‑feet this year depending on recharge capacity. He explained the town’s Central Arizona Project (CAP) non‑Indian agricultural (NIA) allocation historically has been reduced in shortage years and that staff are planning how stored credits and new groundwater production could help bridge future Colorado River supply reductions after 2026.
Cruzvisor also described construction at the Phoenix interconnect and a one‑million‑gallon reservoir pour completed recently; the town’s contractor has awarded $18 million in construction work and is finalizing additional guaranteed‑maximum‑price scopes. He said the City of Phoenix pipeline and booster work remains a critical path item and that the town expects phased delivery of municipal and fire service from Phoenix as that work finishes.
Council members and staff discussed next steps including testing of two candidate wells (Vermice and Hazleton), potential arsenic levels at the “right well” tested earlier in the year, and grant and capital planning to equip new wells where water quality and capacity are adequate.
On wastewater and related programs, staff described expanded pretreatment and backflow device inventories and said manhole and grit‑chamber rehabilitation work had been completed or scheduled to reduce maintenance risk.
