Bidders await decision on wastewater treatment plant
by Brian DiTullio

CAVE CREEK - Water in, sewage out. That's the plan being laid out in Cave Creek as the town continues its march toward a modern, effective infrastructure.

According to town council, the new wastewater treatment plant, to be called the "Cave Creek Water Ranch," is moving forward as planned. A selection committee is now in the process of interviewing three engineering/contracting firms, the finalists in the initial bid process.

To finance construction, the town has allocated about $25 million of the $50 million in revenue bonds or Water Infrastructure Finance Authority loan proceeds approved by voters in 2005. The town will use $17.5 million of the financing toward the purchase of Cave Creek Water Company, approved at the March 5 town council meeting.

The new plant will sit on a 76.45 acre parcel on the north side of Carefree Highway at 44th Street, purchased last December from the State Land Department for $4.275 million. The town was the only bidder for the land.
With the site in hand, Cave Creek solicited contractors to bid on the project and the finalists, according to Assistant Town Engineer Souren Naradikian, are CH2M Hill, PCL Construction Leaders, and Garey Construction, all with offices in the metro Phoenix area.

The three companies submitted final bids to a technical advisory team on March 16. The team will choose the winning bidder on March 27, subject to final approval by town council at a subsequent meeting. The treatment plant is estimated to cost around $20 million, Naridikian related, but final bid numbers are not yet available.

Town council stipulated the winning bidder will be required to operate the plant for at least two years so the town can be "assured that the plant performs as designed and it meets all Town requirements, those being that the plant does not generate any intrusive noise or odor and has aesthetic appearance that blends in with the character of the Cave Creek community."

The new treatment plant will have a capacity of about 500,000 gallons per day, about double what the existing plant can handle. It will also have the capability of being expanded up to 3 million gallons per day.

Once the new plant is online, the existing Rancho Manana plant will be decommissioned and torn down-sometime in 2009, according to Naradikian. There will be no interruptions of service while the new plant and sewer lines are connected, nor will there be any disruptions when the old plant is deactivated.

Naradikian points out that shutting down the old plant is a very technical process that will involve the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also related both plants will be operated simultaneously until it is proven the new plant operates according to specifications.

"We won't shut down the old plant until we can prove the new plant is working properly," said Naradikian.

Mayor Vincent Francia said once the old treatment plant is gone, it will be up to the community to decide what to do with the land.
"We haven't discussed it yet, but selling it to a developer is certainly an option," said Francia.

Several subdivisions in the Cave Creek area already have "dry" sewer connections, i.e. the necessary lines were put in during construction and all that is required is for the houses to be connected to the new system.