Avondale outlines PFAS treatment and wastewater expansion costs; Bartlett Dam share also noted

City utilities staff told the council that new federal drinking‑water limits for PFAS will require significant treatment investments and that the city is planning for a multiyear, multi‑million dollar response.

Kirk (utilities staff) said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a regulation in April 2024 setting a numerical limit for PFAS in drinking water at 4 parts per trillion and requiring municipalities to treat affected supplies by April 2029. “The regulation that was issued in April is 4 parts per trillion,” Kirk told council. He said about 70% of Avondale’s water supply is currently impacted by PFAS detections at levels that would require treatment under the April 2024 rule.

Kirk said the city has developed an action plan and consultant estimates to meet the regulation’s requirements and that the treatment‑facility package under discussion is about $105,000,000. Staff described the program as a set of treatment installations at multiple well and booster sites to remove PFAS before distribution.

Kirk also updated council on the Bartlett Dam regional water project: Avondale’s share of the estimated $1.1 billion construction cost was described as about $15,000,000 in the materials presented to the citizens committee. Kirk said the town’s roughly 5,000 acre‑feet allocation from Bartlett is intended to offset Colorado River supply shortfalls expected after 2026.

Separately, staff described a planned expansion of the city’s water reclamation (wastewater) facility. Project cost estimates shared during the meeting rose as project scope and inflation were discussed; staff said the water reclamation expansion is being planned using a mix of impact fees, utility fees and potential bond financing. Staff told council they will propose changes to development impact fees to address under‑collection relative to a larger forecasted expansion cost.

Staff cautioned that while the PFAS regulation is in place, regulatory and legal developments at the federal level remain in flux; a proposed rule targeting industrial PFAS discharges was paused, and legal challenges and ongoing federal action could change timelines, limits, or implementation dates. Kirk said the city’s planning approach is to prepare to comply while retaining flexibility to adjust if the federal rule changes.

Next steps: staff said they will present detailed design and financing options for PFAS treatment, the water reclamation expansion, and impact‑fee adjustments during the FY26 budget cycle and in separate utility‑rate proceedings. Council directed staff to bring water‑related proposals and rates back for consideration in the coming months.