Peoria shifts $3.28m to fast-track reclaimed-water link
City of Peoria Utilities Department, Arizona · Meeting date: October 20, 2026 · Published: October 21, 2026
Peoria City Council has redirected funds from a deferred Jomax WRF expansion design to accelerate a transmission main that will connect the city’s Beardsley and Jomax reclamation facilities. The move is paired with a Salt River Project storage lease intended to maintain reclaimed-water storage capacity until the pipeline is complete.
Key points
- Council approved a $3,278,069 transfer from the Jomax WRF 4.5 mgd expansion design project to Reclaimed Water Transmission Main – Project 2.
- The transfer advances $3,278,069 of the $5,412,488 previously budgeted for the transmission project in FY2028 into FY2027.
- Project 2 will extend the existing reclaimed-water pipeline from Pleasant Valley to Jomax WRF, completing the Beardsley-to-Jomax connection.
- Peoria also approved a temporary SRP assignment at the New River Agua Fria Underground Storage Project, raising available storage to 655 acre-feet per month through April 2027.
Full report
Peoria City Council has approved a $3.28 million capital transfer to accelerate a reclaimed-water transmission project designed to link the city’s Beardsley and Jomax water reclamation facilities.
The transfer moves $3,278,069 from UT00537, the design project for an expansion of the Jomax Water Reclamation Facility from 3 mgd to 4.5 mgd, into UT00512, Reclaimed Water Transmission Main – Project 2. The action advances $3,278,069 of the $5,412,488 previously budgeted for the transmission main in FY2028 into FY2027.
Revised growth projections and land-planning changes mean the Jomax expansion is not expected to be needed within Peoria’s current 10-year capital improvement programme. Meanwhile, the transmission project is progressing faster than budgeted.
Project 2 will connect Pleasant Valley to the Jomax WRF, completing the system connection between Beardsley WRF and Jomax WRF. The first project installed pipeline from Beardsley WRF to Pleasant Valley, at Lake Pleasant Parkway and Lone Mountain, and to Paloma Park.
The completed connection is intended to give Peoria operational flexibility for reclaimed water. In winter, excess reclaimed water from Jomax can be sent to Beardsley for recharge or other reclaimed-water uses. In summer, reclaimed water can move in the opposite direction to supplement supplies for golf courses in the Jomax area.
Council also approved a temporary Salt River Project storage-entitlement assignment at the New River Agua Fria Underground Storage Project. Peoria owns a 20% interest in the project, equating to 480 acre-feet of effluent and reclaimed-water storage capacity each month. Its former agreement to use 5% of Avondale’s capacity, equivalent to 120 acre-feet per month, ended when Avondale declined to renew it for FY2027.
Under the SRP agreement, Peoria will receive an assignment equal to 26.81% of SRP’s storage entitlement, or 7.29% of total monthly operating capacity. This brings Peoria’s available capacity to 26.81% of the project, or 655 acre-feet per month. Peoria’s stored volume has been trending at about 550 acre-feet per month.
The initial assignment expires on April 30, 2027, with one-year extensions available by mutual written agreement. Staff described the lease as a cost-effective means of storing Butler WRF reclaimed water until the reclaimed-water pipeline is complete and that water can be stored at the Beardsley WRF underground storage facility.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council Meeting, City of Peoria Utilities Department