During the district director’s report July 15, Apache Junction Water District staff briefed trustees on a recent repair to a leaking main and on progress toward an intergovernmental agreement to purchase reclaimed water from the sewer district for new developments.

District Director Mike reported crews located a leak in a 16-inch transmission main just north of U.S. 60 on Tomahawk, near the gas station referenced in the meeting. Mike said the affected pipeline was roughly 30 years old and lacked a protective polywrap; corrosive local soils formed barnacle-like corrosion that caused the leak. Staff installed a temporary repair clamp, contracted Garnet Construction under a Job Order Contract (JOC) to replace about 60 feet of pipe in a tight trench area with other utilities present, and completed the work last Friday. The district said one customer — the roadside gas station — lost service for a few hours; all other customers remained in service.

Mike said the district will present a contract for board approval once final project costs are tallied. He told the board, “We will be having a contract come in that we'll request approval for, once we get those total costs for that project.”

On the reclaimed-water item, staff said they have finalized legal language with district counsel Mister Stern and are preparing an intergovernmental agreement to purchase reclaimed (nonpotable) water from the sewer district. Staff said the sewer district’s water holds an A-plus rating, will be delivered by gravity to a storage pond on the property and then pumped by a homeowners association-owned pump station to parks and irrigation systems in the subdivisions named SuperSystem, Vistas, Radiance and Blossom Rock. Mike said reclaimed water will be used for large landscape areas and trees; he noted local code requires reclaimed water for landscaping projects over 2.5 acres in the new developments.

The agreement will also include a strand lease of fiber optic capacity: the district has extra fiber strands between its nonpotable tank and treatment plant and plans to lease capacity to the sewer district’s internet provider as part of the trade. Staff said forthcoming agenda items will present the intergovernmental agreement for board action.

No votes were taken on the IGA during the meeting.