Background

The Gadsden Water Company, a private water utility, provides potable water services to the community. The water company has a total of 186 residential accounts.

The only wastewater disposal facilities currently available in the community are on-site units. These units consist primarily of septic tanks and leach field systems; however, there are also a number of homes with cesspools and open discharges to ditches. The existing on-site systems are generally old and do not function properly due to age, inadequate
maintenance, small lots, and a seasonal high water table that is not conducive to these types of systems.

The proposed new wastewater system is under the operational jurisdiction of Yuma County Improvement District No. 96-7, which was created in 1996 through the efforts of Yuma County to bring needed wastewater services to the community.

Description

The project consists of constructing a community-wide gravity collection
system, as well as a force main system to convey the wastewater
approximately four miles to the treatment plant in San Luis, Arizona.

The project is divided into two phases. Phase I, which is already
completed, involved the construction of a sewer main along Highway 95.
Phase II consists of the construction of sewer laterals, a lift station and
force main. Specifically, Phase II components include:

• Construction of approximately 13,213 linear feet of sanitary
  sewer mains.
• Installation of 186 residential sewer connections and
  decommissioning of on-site disposal units.
• Construction of a lift station and approximately 19,000-feet of
  force main.

Benefits

The project will provide first-time wastewater collection and treatment services to the entire community, thereby alleviating health and environmental problems caused by failing and/or inadequate on-site disposal systems.