Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Effluent Recharge Investigation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County says Palominas recharge parcel will be investigated; staff describes treatment steps and next tests
Summary
Staff said the county has acquired a Palominas parcel for recharge investigation and will test on‑site recharge potential and water quality; staff and supervisors discussed treated effluent options and local concerns about direct discharge to groundwater.
Cochise County Flood Control staff reported that the county has acquired property in the Palominas area for a border recharge project and that the next step is a site investigation to assess recharge potential and water quality.
"First of all, the next step we have is just to investigate the property itself, where would be a good location, what is the ground recharge availability on that little parcel," said Miss Watkins, Flood Control District staff, describing the immediate investigative work planned for the acquired parcel. Staff said the investigation could include drilling and other site characterization if necessary.
Discussion at the work session addressed the source and treatment of water that might be routed to the site. Staff said the Palominas property discussion focused on treated effluent from the City of Bisbee for that parcel; Sierra Vista and Benson were cited as examples of municipalities that use wetlands and polishing ponds before routing water to recharge basins. "It's not gonna be directly discharged into the river to begin with. It will be through a... wetlands," Watkins said, describing multi‑stage polishing and recharge steps used elsewhere.
Supervisors and staff also discussed community concerns and constraints. Staff acknowledged local anxieties about effluent, noted that the county will examine water quality, and described potential investigations such as water‑quality testing and drilling. The transcript records discussion about naturally occurring arsenic in local groundwater and the need to evaluate groundwater quality at candidates sites: "There are wells in there that have been tested for above the 10 parts per million for arsenic," a staff speaker said.
Staff emphasized that research and testing, not immediate discharge, are the county’s next actions for the Palominas asset. Proposed future steps include field tests to measure infiltration and recharge rates, water‑quality sampling, and, if necessary, engineered enhancements such as wells or infiltration infrastructure. Staff also noted that some of the property’s stormwater could be leveraged for recharge without moving effluent if on‑site washes carry storm flow.
No permits, design approvals or project construction were approved at the work session; staff said further technical work and stakeholder engagement would precede any design or water‑management decisions.
