FOUNTAIN HILLS SANITARY DISTRICT: 40 YEARS OF ZERO - DISCHARGE THROUGH INNOVATION AND PERSISTENCE

摘要

The Fountain Hills Sanitary District (FHSD) provides wastewater services to Fountain Hills, Arizona, a community of approximately 23,000 located northeast of Phoenix. Since the community was founded 40 years ago, FHSD has operated on a zero-discharge basis, reclaiming and reusing all of the wastewater generated by the community. Reuse has been the only method of disposal for wastewater treatment plant effluent because there is no approved access to a watercourse or the regional wastewater system for discharge. This has required the development of an innovative reuse system to address the challenges posed by increasing flows, enabling the community to continue to grow and make optimal use of its water resources. The present FHSD reclaimed water system includes an Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF) performing microfiltration, a number of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, and a distribution system serving golf courses and parks. Creating and expanding this system to meet the community's needs as it has grown has been the result of persistence and prudent innovation.