March 2021
Archer Western completes Marana Water Treatment Campuses
Phoenix, AZ – Archer Western completed construction at two new water treatment campuses for the Town of Marana, Arizona, to address groundwater quality monitoring results. Constructing water treatment facilities in each of the impacted systems was the most effective solution to providing safe, clean drinking water now and for future development.
In August 2018, the Town of Marana made a unanimous decision to pursue the design and construction of a water treatment facility for each of the two impacted systems found to contain unregulated compounds 1,4-dioxane and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The two systems are located at Picture Rocks Water Treatment Campus and Airline/Lambert Water Treatment Campus.
(Photo: Airline/Lambert Water Treatment Campus)
(Photo: Picture Rocks Water Treatment Campus)
1,4-dioxane is a semi-volatile liquid, used widespread as a stabilizer with chlorinated solvents, paint strippers, greases, waxes, and cosmetics. PFAS is commonly be found in stain, water and grease repellants produced in the last 50 years and are used in the manufacturing of carpets, furniture, paper packaging, leather, coating additives, car waxes and coatings, fire-resistant materials.
Archer Western provided construction project delivery through the collaborative construction manager at risk (CMAR) process which allowed the project team to focus on several of the Town’s needs. The project team – consisting of the Town of Marana, Archer Western, and Carollo Engineers – worked together to provide efficient and safe conditions for plant operators during the COVID-19 pandemic while also optimizing costs within constraints of the low-interest Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) loan funding the Town secured.
(Photo: Airline/Lambert Water Treatment Campus)
Construction at both locations included furnishing and installing of all treatment systems and appurtenances including above and below grade piping, ultraviolet reactors and hydrogen peroxide dosing equipment for 1,4-dioxane treatment, electrical and control installation and programming, all site work including grading, utility installation/relocation, masonry and steel fabrication, and installing four vessels for granular activated carbon (GAC) storage. Both facilities employed uniform designs to accelerate construction.
The Airline/Lambert and Picture Rocks Water Treatment Campuses are among only a handful of full-scale municipal drinking water treatment facilities in the U.S. employing a UV-hydrogen peroxide advanced oxidation process (UV AOP) for 1,4-dioxane destruction, followed by GAC for both excess peroxide quenching via a catalytic reaction and PFAS adsorption.
A virtual grand opening was held on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The Town has posted videos highlighting the goals of the project and construction time lapse of the two campuses. To watch these videos please visit: https://www.maranaaz.gov/water-project-water.