News
Announcements / Highlights
Applying for a Public Sewer Construction Permit?
Take a look at our new process for public sewer line installations (connections requiring a manhole or for pipe 12" and greater) and repairs.
Sewer Connection Information
Realtors and homeowners looking for sewer connection information can now search the Connection Records database online.
Department News
The Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Advisory Committee and the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department held a public meeting on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2009/10 Financial Plan. Minutes of the meeting will be posted on the RWRAC webpage as soon as they are reviewed and approved by the committee, and the final plan will be posted on the Financial Plan webpage.
Before start of ROMP construction at the Ina Road WRF, Desert Archaeology (working with Pima County Cultural Resources) conducted an extensive archaeology dig on the site to document prehistoric Native American settlements. The archaeological work revealed a network of canals and fields from the San Pedro Period (1250 B.C. – 800 B.C.). The findings document an early sedentary agricultural settlement that includes the oldest known irrigation system in North America. The 60-acre excavation, called Las Capas (The Layers), won an award from Archaeology Magazine as one of the top 10 discoveries of 2009. View a slideshow about Las Capas and information from Desert Archaeology. With the excavation work complete, the department is free to begin construction on the Ina Road phase of the ROMP.
On Sunday, October 25, RWRD Director Mike Gritzuk was honored by the Tucson Mountain Association (TMA) with its Public Servant of the Year Award. He received the award for his efforts to help the community with odor control issues, and for his vision that ROMP facilities should be aesthetically pleasing and important community resources beyond the treatment of the community’s wastewater.
The RWRD Treatment Division received the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Silver, Gold and Platinum Peak Performance Awards for 2008, awarded at a ceremony on July 15, 2009.
To be eligible for a Silver Award, a wastewater reclamation facility must have no more than five AZPDES exceedances in a calendar year. Gold Award recipients must have zero exceedances in a calendar year. To qualify for a Platinum Award, a facility must have five or more consecutive years of zero permit exceedances (100% compliance) with AZPDES permit requirements.
In 2008, the Ina Road WRF and Roger Road WRF earned Silver Awards. Receiving Gold Awards were the Marana WRF, Mt. Lemmon WRF, and Randolph Park WRF. Platinum Award honors went to the Avra Valley WRF and the Green Valley WRF.
“These NACWA awards attest to the hard work, dedication, and attention to detail that our Operations and Maintenance, Laboratory, and Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Office staff exhibits in performing their critical roles for the department,” said Jackson Jenkins, Deputy Director Treatment Division. RWRD Director Michael Gritzuk said, “These awards are tribute to the hard work and professionalism of our staff. Pima County is fortunate to have such dedicated and skilled wastewater professionals.”
Program Updates
- Odor Control Program - We are committed to mitigating odors emitted from treatment facilities and the sanitary sewerage system. Report them with our new Online Odor Report Form or by calling (520) 443-6500.
- New Online Odor Report Form
- Odor Management Quarterly Reports - including recent odor control updates
- Regional Optimization Master Plan
- Capital Improvement Program
- Save Our Sewers Program - Don't let the Grease Monster out!
- Drop-off locations for grease are available year-round for your grease.
Publications
- Sewer Bill Inserts - Current news and information
- RWRD Reports to the Board of Supervisors - Updates on odor control, ROMP, and other wastewater news
- Minutes from the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Advisory Committee meeting
General Information
- Graywater Rebates - Arizona taxpayers may receive credit for installation costs of graywater or rainwater collection systems in their homes.
- Got Mice? The Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department has received very few complaints of sewer mice. During the past five years, our department received and investigated a total of seven (7) mice complaints and encountered mice with only one of the complaints. Here’s some advice to follow should you find mice.
New on the Web
- New Department Policy PN0036 - Connecting to a 12" Diameter or Greater Sewer System, effective March 1, 2010
- Revised forms for Capacity Determination Requests, effective February 1, 2010
- Public Sewer Construction Permits - New process for public sewer line installations (connections requiring a manhole or for pipe 12" and greater) and repairs
- Online Sewer Connection Database - New online searching of the Connection Records database
- Appeals on Winter Quarter Average - New online form. You can save money on your sewer bill if December, January, and February are not your lowest consecutive months of water use.
- FY 2008/09 Financial Plan - Approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 17, 2009
New Engineering Directives and Policies
- All directives
- 2009-19 - Sewer Design and As-built Slope Annotation, effective January 1, 2010
- 2009-18 - Sewer Pipe Slope and Manhole Invert Construction Tolerances, May 2009
- New Ordinance governing Repair and Replacement of House Connection Sewers (HCS) - Also procedure for requesting RWRD assistance with private HCS repairs
- 2008-17 - CCTV Inspection for New Sewer Construction Acceptance, July 2008
- 2008-16 - Specifications for sand bedding for sanitary sewers have been revised (Standard Details 104 and 105)
