Pima County cleans closed wastewater treatment plant

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TUCSON — Kevin Daily remembers the noxious sewer odors emanating from the Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Plant, which treated 41 million gallons of water daily.

“My memories are very vivid to me,” said Daily, president of the Flowing Wells Neighborhood Association, the community adjacent to the treatment plant. “Did we like it? No. But I think you kind of accepted that by moving here.”

The foul odors subsided when the facility closed in 2014, but a decade later the infrastructure remained a decaying 47-acre industrial property on the edge of the Santa Cruz River. Every day, Pima County wastewater workers patrol massive empty concrete tanks and processing plants that are vulnerable to vandalism, break-ins and copper wire theft.

But Pima County officials are envisioning a new, greener future for the Roger Road Wastewater Plant, as plans to redevelop the brownfield site receive funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

At a news conference at the property last month, county officials, conservation groups and community members celebrated a $497,000 grant from the EPA to help clean up contaminants found in vacant buildings on the property. Speaking in front of the Biden administration’s “We Invest in America” ​​banner, EPA Regional Administrator Martha Guzman applauded the efforts of local officials and community members to transform the vacant facility.

“A lot of people want to finance new things,” Guzman said in an interview. “The hardest part is finding the money to clean up the land and clean up the infrastructure.”

County officials say this is another step in a long-range plan to transform the property into a multi-use area that would include reclaimed wetlands and a research center for wastewater technologies.

Environmental justice for Flowing Wells

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality defines brownfields as “abandoned or underutilized properties where reuse is complicated by actual or perceived environmental pollution.” ADEQ also invested grant money from the state’s brownfield cleanup program, which has helped remediate more than 2,000 acres of contaminated property since 2005.

Brownfield cleanup grants to Pima County will provide funding to remove and contain asbestos construction materials and lead-based paint found on the interior of many of the facility’s buildings. Once these toxic substances are controlled, the county can move on to the next phases of planning, demolition and redevelopment.

EPA’s brownfield cleanup grant is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and aligns with the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative. This initiative prioritizes environmental justice projects that serve underinvested communities across the country.

“I am very happy to say that for our district, brownfields funding is close to 100% in Justice40 communities,” Guzman said. “Why? It’s almost inherent in that, because money is used to rebuild devastated communities.”

According to EPA Climate and Economic Screening ToolUsing data to help identify underserved communities, Flowing Wells areas are considered underserved and overburdened areas. Indicators for this definition include low average income, high wildfire risk, and proximity to toxic pollutants in wastewater discharge.

The Flowing Wells Neighborhood Association was an integral part of the grant process, providing community input on the redevelopment plan, according to officials. Kevin Daily described a series of active community meetings where people living near the facility could comment on reuse plans.

“I’m hopeful that with federal money we can get this started quickly because we have a significant number of historically brownfield sites in Flowing Wells,” Daily said. “EPA and ADEQ have been very good to us, and we need that. We need to continue that care because we’ve been underserved in this area for years.”

Expansion of wetland habitat

At the southern end of the Roger Road property, in the shadow of empty water tanks, are two modest little ponds teeming with life. Coordinators with the Pima County Conservation and Land Resources department survey the water’s edge with nets and cages, counting small fish and aquatic plants.

Opened in 2023, Agua Nueva Park occupies a small area next to the closed wastewater plant. Despite its size, the park is used by conservationists to promote endangered species such as the Gila topminnow and Huachuca water umbrella plant as part of the county. Multispecies Conservation Plan. This plan mitigates impact and enhances habitat for 44 species protected by the Endangered Species Act in Pima County.

Current plans for redevelopment envision a third of the area set aside to expand the park and rewild wetland habitat that could support endangered species populations and expand the ecosystem near the Santa Cruz River. Agua Nueva Park is also connected to The Loop trail system and is close to Sweetwater Wetlands, a popular birding area.

Investing in brownfields cleanup

The Roger Road project is one of 183 grants awarded to communities across the country totaling $233 million in 2024. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, EPA’s brownfields program has seen a record $1.5 billion investment, effectively strengthening the program to help assess and clean up contaminated sites.

Once the funding runs out, Guzman said the brownfields program will need continued investment to continue community-focused grant projects on this expanded scale.

“I think we’re showing that the need is so great, that it needs to be funded at $1 billion a year, and that communities are ready to use it and create new economic opportunities,” Guzman said. “What we’re showing here is that there is demand, but most importantly, these communities are ready to make their visions a reality.”

John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to: [email protected].

Environmental coverage at azcentral.com and The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

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