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Flagstaff officials say a new wastewater plant may be needed; price tag could reach hundreds of millions
Summary
City water services leaders briefed council on wastewater-treatment capacity limits driven by solids handling and lower per-capita water use, and presented technology and phased-construction options; staff said a full new plant could cost $225–420 million depending on size and timing.
Flagstaffs water-services director and staff told council Friday that the citys aging Wildcat Hill wastewater treatment plant and existing Rio De Flag facility are approaching operational limits and that long-term growth will require a new treatment strategy.
Lee Williams, director of Water Services, said the two existing plants have a combined nominal liquid capacity of about 10 million gallons per day (MGD) but are constrained by solids-processing capacity because per-capita water use has declined. "Because the toilets are using less water...there's still the same amount of waste in that stream," Williams said. "We are not near the liquid capacity, but we are at the solids capacity. That is what's driving the need for a new plant."
Wildcat Hill, built in 1979, has a design liquid capacity of about 6 MGD and is currently treating roughly 4.5 MGD; the Rio De…
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