On Wednesday, Johnson Utilities announced that it is shutting down its Section 11 Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 5452 East Hunt Highway. The Section 11 plant has been at the center of odor complaints from nearby residents in recent years.
Wastewater currently being treated at the Section 11 Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) will be treated at a new regional facility to be known as the Copper Basin Water Reclamation Plant that will be constructed by the Company after it receives the required regulatory permits and approvals.
In order to close the Section 11 WWTP and construct the new Copper Basin WRP, there are various regulatory permits and approvals the Company must obtain. The Company owns 32 acres of land that has been earmarked for the Copper Basin WRP. Once the new Copper Basin WRP is operational, the Section 11 WWTP will be fully decommissioned in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements.
Before construction can begin on the new Copper Basin WRP, the Company must comply with the
applicable zoning ordinances of Pinal County, apply for and obtain an amendment of its CAG 208 Plan from Central Arizona Governments, apply for and obtain an Aquifer Protection Permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, apply for and obtain an Underground Storage Facility permit from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, and apply for and obtain an air permit from the Pinal County Air Quality Control District.