Surprise finishes $86.8 million sewage plant

Surprise has wrapped up construction in a massive $86.8 million expansion of a water reclamation facility built to prepare for future residential and commercial growth.

The facility, more commonly known as a sewage plant, is located on Cactus Road just west of Dysart Road. At the facility, wastewater is separated into solids and liquids. The solid waste is taken to a landfill. The treated water is often used in farming or for watering turf, with some eventually returning to the local water table.

The expansion, under construction since 2005, nearly doubles the capacity of the facility, said James Shano, an infrastructure division manager for Surprise Water Services. It can now handle about 16.3 million gallons of wastewater per day, which translates into an additional 36,000 homes that can be served.

This and other sewage treatment improvements are viewed by the city as vital to Surprise's continued growth, providing the necessary infrastructure before new rooftops and residents arrive.

Bonds, fees cover cost

The cost of the facility was paid through a combination of municipal bonding and development fees on new home and business development. The intent is to have future home and business development continue to pay off the debt.

The facility, which sits on 120 acres, was built to service Surprise's Special Planning Area 1. That area is currently the city's busiest. It is bounded by Dysart Road to the east, the White Tank Mountains to the west, Peoria Avenue to the south, and Grand Avenue and McMicken Dam to the north.

City officials and about 25 residents were given tours of the facility Saturday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Councilman Richard Alton described the facility as "awesome."

"The tour afforded an opportunity to see in detail what makes up some of the things we take for granted," Alton said.

The city's first water reclamation plant was dedicated on the site in 1995, when the city had a population of about 10,000, the city reports. Now, the estimated population is about 109,000.

Future plant expansions

Wastewater treatment expansions are ongoing in other areas in the city, although the housing slump has slowed that progression.

By the end of the year, a sewage plant should be complete at 187th Avenue and Deer Valley Road. When it will be fully operational, however, is unknown given the current housing slump, Shano said.

This $17 million plant, paid for and built by developers in that area, could treat up to 1.8 million gallons of wastewater per day.

The city also is designing a sewage plant expansion at 152nd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road, Shano said. This would expand the existing facility from treating 1.2 million gallons of wastewater to 3.2 million gallons daily. That $27.7 million expansion is expected to be finished in about 2½ years.

Future plants are in discussion phases in the far northern reaches of the city, but have been put on hold until developers resume building.

Surprise officials and water services employees on a tour of the new SPA 1 Water Reclamation Facility in Surprise.