The Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) operates and maintains the second largest water reclamation system in the state of Arizona. With 418 wastewater professionals that serve 280,000 customers countywide, RWRD’s treatment operations consist of two metropolitan water reclamation facilities and five sub-regional facilities, which process more than 60 million gallons of wa
stewater every day across a 700-square mile service area. Our conveyance system consists of more than 3,500 miles of pipes, 67,000 manholes and clean-outs, and 21 lift stations. Today, our community and our Department are reaping the benefits of having invested in state-of-the-art wastewater treatment infrastructure to meet more stringent water quality standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. As a result of crucial upgrades to our treatment infrastructure, we are now producing extremely high-quality reclaimed water at all of our water reclamation facilities. The improvements to the quality of our effluent have significantly improved the ecosystem along the Santa Cruz River as well as the quality of water replenishing the underlying aquifer. The high-quality effluent we are now producing is an important, renewable water resource, especially for the City of Tucson’s reclaimed water system. RWRD is committed to contributing to our community’s sustainable water future through optimizing opportunities for reclaimed water reuse. Additionally, RWRD is pursuing exciting opportunities to partner with the academic community, other water utilities, and the private sector to advance research and identify innovative solutions for future water quality and regulatory and sustainability issues. Our commitment to sustainability also includes a focus on optimizing processes to reduce chemical and energy consumption and increase energy and resource efficiency. RWRD is poised to continue investing in its aging infrastructure, including a major investment in rehabilitating the sewer conveyance system over the next five years, as we continue to work diligently toward our mission to protect the public health, safety, and the environment by providing quality service, environmental stewardship, and renewable resources.
