An agreement signed between the City of Phoenix and the Arizona Department of Transportation is being seen as the necessary precursor to the construction of a new 12 mile-long water pipeline.
The Phoenix Water Drought Pipeline Project is centered on a 66-inch diameter pipeline that will carry water from the Salt River Project to the rapidly growing northern end of Phoenix, a section of the city with more than 400,000 residents.
Long in the planning stage, the project, which will also includes the construction of a modern water treatment plant to be located at North 24th Street and Lincoln Street, is designed to provide a hedge against the city’s current reliance on water from the Colorado River.
Because of repeated ongoing drought conditions, less and less water from that source has been available in recent years, with some experts predicting a 7 percent supply reduction just this year alone.
The agreement between Phoenix and the Arizona DOT will allow for the pipeline’s construction alongside Arizona State Route 51, rather than on residential areas as had been earlier proposed.
Public input meetings on the project and its exact probable location are scheduled to be held next month.
The estimated $300 million pipeline will be built in three phases and could be completed by 2024.
By Garry Boulard
