|
What is the Regional Optimization Master Plan (ROMP)?
ROMP is a master plan to allow the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (PCRWRD) to meet regulatory
requirements and to guide development
of regional water reclamation facilities for 20 years.
What is PCRWRD planning?
PCRWRD is working to meet new environmental requirements mandated by the Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
ADEQ regulates our activities and the way we
convey and treat the community’s sewage. ADEQ
has directed us to meet new stringent quality
standards for our effluent. These standards are
based on mandates set by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What new standards does PCRWRD have
to meet?
ADEQ is mandating that PCRWRD decrease the
amount of nitrogen and ammonia in our effluent.
Why is it important to decrease nitrogen
and ammonia levels in effluent?
Although nitrogen is helpful in plant growth, it
is harmful to aquatic life. Additionally, effluent
that is discharged into the Santa Cruz River can
percolate into our groundwater and increase
nitrogen and ammonia levels in the aquifer.
Although small levels of nitrogen naturally exist
in the aquifer, high levels of nitrogen in drinking
water can be harmful to children and unborn
babies. No local water providers draw from the
groundwater near the Roger Road and Ina Road
facilities, and the Regional Wastewater Reclamation
Department performs regular monitoring of the
groundwater in these areas.
What does Pima County intend to do to
meet new standards?
With a number of community partners (the City
of Tucson, the Town of Marana, the Town of Oro
Valley, and others), PCRWRD has developed the
Regional Optimization Master Plan (ROMP). The
ROMP will change how we manage and treat the
community’s sewage.
Today, the Roger Road plant has a capacity of 41
million gallons a day (mgd). The Ina Road facility
has a capacity of 37.5 mgd. ROMP planners have
projected that the metropolitan area will need
a capacity of 85 mgd by 2030 (3 mgd will be
provided by the Randolph Water Reclamation
Facility located at 22nd Street and Alvernon
Way.) When the ROMP is completed, the Ina
Road facility will be upgraded and expanded
to treat 50 mgd. The Roger Road plant will be
decommissioned after a new 32 mgd water
reclamation facility is built adjacent to the
existing plant.
Proposed 32 mgd Roger Road Water Reclamation Campus (higher resolution schematic)
Proposed Ina Road 50 mgd Water Reclamation Facility (higher resolution schematic)
What will the ROMP cost?
Preliminary estimates are $536 million. However, this
estimate is based on prices for necessary goods and
services in 2006 dollars. Ultimately, the ROMP will
cost more when additional needs and requirements are
identified and inflation and debt service are factored
into project costs.
PCRWRD will be asking for increases in sewer
rates and sewer connection fees. These rates are
paid by those of us who receive sewer service and
by developers and any others who connect new
plumbing fixtures that discharge into the sewer
system.
For more detail, see Let's Talk Sewage and the ROMP Powerpoint presentation.
Viewing PDF Documents:
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and can be downloaded from the
Adobe home page.
|
Let's Talk Sewage
