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Prescott Valley OKs $345,000 transfer to design water main after PFAS detections
Summary
The Town Council approved a $345,000 budget transfer to design a 16-inch transmission main along Old Black Canyon Highway to provide backup potable supply for areas affected by PFAS in Quailwood wells; the council also adopted a code amendment and approved the consent agenda.
The Prescott Valley Town Council on the evening of the meeting unanimously approved a $345,000 budget transfer to begin design of a 16-inch water transmission main along Old Black Canyon Highway to interconnect the town's upper and lower water systems and provide backup capacity for wells affected by PFAS contamination.
Public works presenter Wadsworth told the council the project would connect a more prolific aquifer in the upper system to the lower system, and that the money would pay to start design work immediately so construction could be completed by next summer. "We're providing a secondary source of water from this area up in here, which most of the wells up here, we've not had any contamination detected at all. So we're putting a water out there that meets all potable requirements," Wadsworth said.
Resident Walt Kosar urged the town to broaden its technical review before committing to the pipeline strategy. "If the goal is to address the issue of PFAS contamination in the wells in the Quailwood area, that doesn't solve the problem," Kosar said, recommending the town consult specialized water-treatment firms such as Veolia, Evoqua and Calgon Carbon for additional perspectives.
Council members also asked operational questions about the new main. Wadsworth said valves would be placed on the transmission main so sections could be isolated and that the intertie is not intended to "dilute" contaminated wells but to supply an alternative potable source when the lower-area wells cannot meet water-quality standards. He noted that some Quailwood wells are already shut off due to PFAS detections and that the town must prepare for new federal regulation scheduled to take effect in 2029.
Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: approved by single motion; recorded as passing unanimously. - Ordinance 2025-948 (amend order of business, second reading): adopted; recorded as passing unanimously. - Budget transfer: motion to reallocate $345,000 to start design of the Old Black Canyon Highway transmission main; recorded as passing unanimously.
The motion to transfer $345,000 drew no recorded dissent. The clerk individually recorded at least one explicit "approved" vote from Councilmember Freund; the chair declared the motion passed unanimously among members present. The council had earlier removed no items from the consent calendar.
The council's action moves the design work into the current fiscal year by reallocating funds from a pressure-reducing valve station project the town does not expect to complete this year. Wadsworth said the public works department also sees an opportunity to install a multiuse path along the same corridor when the roadway is opened for pipe installation.
No amendments to the transfer were made during the vote. Council members asked for follow-up information on sequencing and on coordination with nearby well repairs; Wadsworth offered to meet with residents who raised technical questions after the meeting.
The meeting record shows Councilwoman Kiel was absent and attending a conference. The transfer and ordinance were declared passed by the mayor at the meeting.
