Under Secretary Glen Smith visited the Tri-City Sanitation District Sept. 15, as part of a tour of USDA-funded project sites in Gila and Pinal counties.
Earlier in the day, Smith was in Phoenix to speak at the National Rural Water Association WaterPro Conference.
TCSD received a $24 million USDA Rural Development grant and a $23 million loan, helping to fund the construction of a new wastewater collection and treatment system.
The project will include installation of new service connections for approximately 1,838 residences and the construction of a new water reclamation facility with a capacity of 500,000 gallons per day, directly benefiting 4,300 residents.
Under Secretary Smith also visited Superior, Casa Grande, and Maricopa to see firsthand how federally-funded projects are supporting rural communities.
According to the USDA, the Trump administration has invested $773 million in rural Arizona infrastructure and economic development.
The need for a new wastewater system is urgent, as Tri-City’s service area includes nearly 1,600 cesspools, potentially posing risks to groundwater and public health. Sewer service will also support housing and business development, and the mines will use the treated wastewater to reduce groundwater pumping.
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