Rotation #11- Utilities

Today was a whirlwind of information and activity. I was with Utilities for the day, and I began with a tour on the field of the department's water systems. The department is in charge of water quality, backflow prevention, and providing water to customers in Marana. Every year, they release an Annual Water Quality Report. The one for 2009 is available on their website here. The utilities department is also the only self-supporting enterprise fund in the Town of Marana. They are supported by rate payers, water resource impact fees, and water infrastructure impact fees. 7.5% of their base income goes to the general fund for services rendered. This means that they are paying the town back or uses of facilities and services provided to the department.

I began with a tour of Marana's water systems. There are 8 total, and they are spread all over 15 miles of land. There are just under 6,000 connections, and they serve over 14,000 people. Marana water is 100% ground water, and is treated for e coli, nitrates, and other contaminates. 

The Water Process

Water is pumped from the well and goes into a storage tank where the chlorination process takes place. It then travels to the hydro tank, where pressure is created to move the water through the system. Gravity is not used; all the force comes from booster pumps. If there are any problems, the pumps can be controlled off-site through a computer. Common issues that may arise during this process include failed booster pumps or communication failure as a result of a storm.

For the pipes running underground, it is important to be able to isolate sections of the system during repair in order to reduce the amount of customers affected. This is controlled by valves, which shut off parts of the system while allowing other parts to continue running.

The utilities department has a cartegraph system that tracks all assets. It shows the maintenance history and work orders associated with each part, and provides inventory control. It also helps with preventative maintenance, and assists in project planning.

Goals

The biggest goal for the utilities department is to loop the water system and create redundancy between communities. Because there is so much land between each system, it would be best to connect them so that if one water tower fails, another can be used.

Currently, the Heartman and Cortaro systems are being connected. If you're wondering what the construction is about out there, now you know why. :)

Conservation

 Conservation is an important part of Marana water. The town is part of Water Casa, an organization of southern Arizona entities that come together to promote conservation. Resources are pulled together to put toward education. Brochures are distributed, low-flow showerheads are given to customers, and tips on saving water are printed on the water bill so that customers will receive it in the mail.

The Marana Utilities Department also has a service where they alert a customer if their water usage increases, and offers to do water audits to figure out what the problem is. Many times over-usage is due to a leak.

Drought is also a prevalent concern in the desert. The Arizona Department of Water Resources requires that the municipalities have a drought preparedness plan. The municipalities within Water Casa worked on their plans together, so that there would be consistency across the southern Arizona desert.

Interesting Facts

•  Even though Continental Ranch and Dove Mountain are in Marana, they are served by Tucson Water because they were already served by them before Marana had its own water system.
• It is important to build a water system that is to size of the population it serves. A system that is too large can lead to stagnant water, which leads to contamination. 
• For every gallon that is pumped out, a gallon must go back into the ground. Currently the aquifer in Marana is rising, which is good for the Town's future. 
• The water meters in a neighborhood can be read without having to physically get out and check them. They are transferred as magnetic records.

 This blog couldn't possibly cover all of the information I learned today. I can say that it has been a very educational experience, and I am very thankful to everyone in the department for showing me around.