Phoenix wins $179 million federal grant for North Gateway advanced water purification facility

PHOENIX — Phoenix will receive $179,000,000 in federal funding to design and build the North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility, Mayor Kate Gallego announced at a public event with U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton and Vice Mayor Anne O'Brien.

The money comes from federal programs the speakers tied to the Inflation Reduction Act and other recent infrastructure laws. "After years of work by an enormous group of people, many of whom are in this room, we were able to secure a $179,000,000 investment in our water security," Gallego said.

The grant will support an advanced water purification plant in northwestern Phoenix that city officials said will augment the municipal supply by nearly 7,000,000 gallons of purified water a day when it is operating. Gallego and other speakers said two planned purified-water sites together will yield about 14,000 acre-feet of potable water — the city’s estimate — and that the project will relieve pressure on Colorado River supplies.

"This facility will be constructed in the Northwestern part of the city, the Vice Mayor's District," Gallego said, noting the area’s recent population and industrial growth, including semiconductor-related development. Rep. Stanton said the investment supports both local families and the region’s economic development, calling water policy "the most important issue facing the future of our state." David White of Arizona State University described the project as using "proven advanced technologies to create a reliable, safe, and affordable source of drinking water for the region."

City wastewater staff cautioned that final design work is not complete and that operational details are still to be determined. Nazario Prieto, assistant director of the wastewater utility, said the city is still studying whether purified water from North Gateway will be delivered directly to customers or used for recharge basins, and offered a planning timeframe rather than a firm operational date: "At this point in time, we haven't fully designed it yet ... but the thought is that over time, it will provide additional water resources to our potable water customers." When asked about schedule, Prieto said the city hopes the plant could be ready around 2030; earlier remarks by the mayor referenced a separate site the city expects to be in operation by 2028.

City and university speakers emphasized public outreach and education as part of the project. White described ASU work on education tools, including virtual reality tours of purification processes. Gallego and O'Brien said the award followed multi-year negotiations with federal agencies, especially the Bureau of Reclamation, and with members of Arizona’s congressional delegation.

Funding and program details cited at the event included the Inflation Reduction Act and the administration’s system-conservation programs; speakers described the award as part of a broader strategy to expand local supply and conserve Colorado River water. The mayor and Rep. Stanton said the grant will reduce certain impact fees for new development, a city prediction tied to the increased local water supply.

The announcement included expressions of bipartisan support and repeated references to regional projects, including a separate "90 First Avenue" regional purification facility described by Gallego and Stanton. Gallego said the combined regional projects will increase drought resilience for the Phoenix metropolitan area.

City officials named contractors and partners involved in design and construction, and acknowledged outgoing department leadership: Gallego thanked Troy Hayes, the outgoing water services director, and named Brandy Kelso as the incoming director. Additional technical partners named at the event included Black & Veatch (design) and Sundt (construction).

Next steps cited by city staff include finishing design, determining distribution and recharge options, and completing additional federal and state permitting and approvals. City staff said specific operational details and a final schedule will be determined during the design phase.

— Reporting for this article includes remarks by Mayor Kate Gallego, U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, Vice Mayor Anne O'Brien, David White (Arizona State University) and Nazario Prieto (assistant director, wastewater utility).