Council hears update on water strategy: recharge expansions, stormwater pilots and PFAS costs

Prescott Valley — Town staff on April 3 updated the council on a multi‑year water strategy that includes expanded effluent recharge, new stormwater recharge pilots designed to improve infiltration in clay soils, ongoing PFAS work at the wastewater treatment plant and modeling related to long‑range water import options.

Neil Davidson (staff) framed three council goals the program seeks to balance: (1) bring the aquifer toward safe‑yield; (2) secure water for economic development; and (3) protect the community’s quality of life. Davidson said the region is overdrafting the Prescott Active Management Area and said the town is treating the issue as a long‑term challenge that requires partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions, state agencies and regional water entities including Salt River Project.

Key items discussed: - Effluent recharge expansion: Tracy Lerer (staff) described two existing recharge facilities: the North Plains recharge ponds (about 400 acre‑feet per year currently) and a 2.25‑mile reach of the Agua Fria River where treated effluent is routed for infiltration. Staff proposed expanding the river‑reach facility — potentially up to eight miles downstream toward Bradshaw Mountain Road — and said the amount of additional credit the town can obtain from ADWR will depend on hydrologic modeling and a permit modification process. - Stormwater recharge pilots: Lerer outlined a stormwater‑infiltration pilot that uses engineered devices to increase hydraulic conductivity in clay sediments by an order of magnitude. The town plans targeted infiltration near stormwater sources and to partner regionally; staff said these projects are being designed with attention to downstream water‑rights impacts and legal constraints. - Recharge and source‑water protection: Staff reiterated concerns about PFAS in plant influent/effluent. Lerer said direct injection of treated effluent into the aquifer near central well fields raises source‑water protection issues; centralized PFAS treatment at the wastewater plant may be more economical and practical than equipping a single small recharge well with PFAS treatment equipment. Council heard an estimated equip/operation cost example: a small 300‑gallon‑per‑minute well fitted to accept treated effluent with PFAS removal was described as carrying high capital and life‑cycle costs (presenters cited a multi‑million‑dollar scale for equipping and operating such facilities when PFAS treatment is required). - AMI and customer tools: Staff reported progress on an advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) replacement program (grant‑funded) that will give customers access to near real‑time water‑use dashboards for leak detection and conservation; project work was described as roughly one‑quarter complete. - Big Chino pipeline and modeling: The town said modeling for the Big Chino basin import scenarios is in final refinement, including uncertainty analyses that will be used to run climate and build‑out scenarios; staff acknowledged ADWR’s long‑standing view that imported water may be required to achieve safe yield in the basin. - Rates and funding: Lerer told council a water‑rate study is planned in 12–24 months to address future funding needs including PFAS treatment, aging infrastructure and possible new staffing and operations; staff also listed potential funding sources such as grants, development impact fees and general‑fund contributions.

Council discussion ranged from technical questions about modeling and partnerships to policy questions about whether the town would pay for imported water. Council members asked about documentation of private wells going dry, the effect of regional migration on housing and water demand, and the likely scale and costs of PFAS treatment. Staff recommended continued public outreach (Water Academy events, tours and other education) while pursuing design, permit modifications and pilot projects.

Ending: Staff described multiple near‑term steps — permit modification work for recharge expansion, design for stormwater recharge pilots, continued AMI rollout and coordination on the Big Chino modeling — and said financing and public engagement will shape the town’s multi‑decade water program.