Federal Funding Fuels Phoenix’s New Water Purification Initiative With $180 Million

Phoenix will receive nearly $180 million in federal funding to build a new facility in the Colorado River Basin that converts wastewater into drinking water. The North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility in the city will be designed and built with the funding.

With the completion of the North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility, 8 million gallons of waste water will be treated regularly. Phoenix's water treatment facilities will generate about 12.5 million gallons of cleaned water daily, in addition to continuous improvements at the Cave Creek Water Reclamation Plant.

The new plant will filter wastewater to drinking water levels that meet or above regulatory criteria using Advanced Water Purification (AWP) technology, which includes reverse osmosis and ultraviolet advanced oxidation. This technique was authorized for city use in March by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

Congressman Greg Stanton and Mayor Gallego announced the funding. Gallego traveled to Washington, D.C. three times to secure federal support and serves as Chair of Climate Mayors, where she has prioritized regional water security cooperation.

"Our city has the tools needed to preserve our strong water supply for decades. We have done this by working to diversify our supply to avoid over-dependence on any one source," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. 

The facility is part of Phoenix's strategy to reduce dependence on the Colorado River, which supplies water to more than 40 million people across the West but faces severe drought and overallocation issues.

The federal funding is from the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program under the Inflation Reduction Act. Phoenix is matching the federal investment with almost $320 million in local assets.

Officials emphasized the project's importance for economic development in the region.

"This ongoing drought is a major issue in our state, and one of the limiting factors for economic growth," Greg Stanton said. "The more we can do on conservation, including and especially advanced water purification, is going to go a long way towards moving our economy forward."

The facility will reduce pressure on the troubled Colorado River system, lower residents' water bills, and make housing more affordable, Gallego said.

The facility's first phase will generate more than 7,500 acre-feet of drinkable water a year. The combined facilities, when fully operational with the Cave Creek plant changes, will produce around 14,000 acre-feet of drinking water annually.