Chandler, Arizona, recently completed construction on its $44.6 million Reclaimed Water Interconnect Facility (RWIF).
The facility treats water from the Salt, Verde and Colorado rivers and utilizes Chandler’s reclaimed water distribution system for delivery to several aquifer recharge sites owned by the city.
The RWIF project, completed by general contractor McCarthy Building Companies, is a membrane water treatment facility that allows the city to increase the volume of water delivered to recharge the aquifer beneath the city and enhance the sustainability of the aquifer.
Aquifer health is a priority for the city because groundwater is a reliable back-up supply that may be needed during times of drought.
The public-private partnership represents an innovative way to utilize existing infrastructure to deliver surface water supplies to the city’s recharge facilities, while also providing water supplies to Intel, which is building two new fabs on its Chandler-based campus to manufacture semiconductor chips. The City of Chandler and Intel split the cost of the project.
The RWIF was designed to handle a flow of 10 million gallons per day (MGD). Project features include a new raw water pump station with three submersible pumps; strainer facility to remove debris from canal water; 10 MGD membrane facility with 16 membranes and the option to expand to 20 membranes; electrical, as well as blower and chemical facilities to house support equipment, allowing proper cleaning and operation of the membrane facility.
“The City of Chandler has once again invested in innovative solutions that increase the city’s operational flexibility of its water systems,” said Pat Payne, vice president of operations for McCarthy’s Water Group, in a press release. “This dynamic project team, which included the City of Chandler, Intel and Wilson Engineers, collaborated to expand the Airport Water Reclamation Facility (AWRF), which has been recognized in the past for achieving the highest standards for safety and for developing innovative solutions to challenges throughout the design and construction process.”
McCarthy originally completed the expansion of the AWRF in late 2014, which increased its capacity to 22 MGD. The facility was named the 2015 Water Reuse Project of the Year by the Arizona Water Association.
Key construction design and trade partners on the RWIF project also included Veolia/Suez, Ludvik Electric, RP Adams, Hennesy Mechanical, JCH, Daniel Mechanical, Kone Crane, Whipps, CST, Hayward Gordon, Graywolf, MMI and Tempe Mechanical.
