The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) of Arizona Chairman Steve Owens on Friday presented the town of Mammoth with the WIFA “Best Technical Assistance Project of the Year” award to provide residents with safe drinking water.
WIFA awarded a $22,000 technical assistance grant to help the town develop a water system master plan. The town collected information on the location of water lines & other infrastructure, & used the information to create a computer model which will allow the town to improve its distribution system & meet state & county standards.
The award is one of three major WIFA statewide awards presented to some of Arizona’s best, and most creative, water districts. Mammoth is located in Pinal County, 38 miles northeast of Tucson.
“By developing a water system master plan, the town of Mammoth has taken a big step toward protecting its water resources & providing the infrastructure to support future growth & development,” said Chairman Owens, who is also the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). “This award recognizes the important work that Mammoth is doing to plan for the future.”
The town’s water company serves more than 1,700 residents.
According to a study of Mammoth’s water system, completed last December by Kennedy/Jenks Consultants of Phoenix, a large portion of the town’s aging pipes are 4 inches or less in diameter & need to be replaced by 6- or 8-inch pipes. The study recommended that a 6-year capital improvement program be developed to replace the substandard pipe.
“This water system master plan is a significant stepping stone for improving our infrastructure,” said Mammoth Mayor Craig Williams. “We have an aging infrastructure that goes all the way back to 1958 when the original homes were built that are serviced by this water system. We thank WIFA for coming through for us, & this will help us improve our delivery & quality of water in the long run.”
Williams also said that long-range plans for Mammoth include construction of 3,000 more residences over the next 15 years.
WIFA maintains & improves water quality in Arizona by providing communities & private water systems with access to low-interest financial assistance as well as technical assistance for water infrastructure.