PIMA — The Town of Pima is on the hunt for nearly $6 million. But even if it gets it, it’s not sure it will take it.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the Town Council unanimously gave Town Manager Vernon Batty authority to seek out a loan from the state’s Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to upgrade its sewer lines specifically for the new Pima High School currently under construction.
Batty laid out a few options for the Town Council, with the first connecting the school to the existing system, which would cost about $483,860. However, as the council learned earlier in the meeting, the town’s sewer lift stations are breaking down more often and getting more expensive to repair, due to the lift stations’ age.
The second option would be to run a new larger pipe straight north to the town’s wastewater collection ponds. Due to some geography issues, this would cost $3.1 million.
Using the second option with alternatives that would replace two lift stations and add a second larger pipe to the town’s system would boost the cost to more than $5 million, in addition to engineering costs.
As Batty explained, WIFA routinely forgives a portion of the loans it approves; however, he doesn’t know how much of any loan would be forgiven, and that uncertainty means the town isn’t sure if it would take the loan when offered.
He also reminded the council that the current wastewater ponds are nearing capacity, and that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will likely not approve new ponds due to the current ponds’ proximity to the Gila River and the state’s desire to recapture as much water as possible instead of allowing it to evaporate.
That means the town will have to consider construction of a wastewater treatment plant, which would give the town access to treated effluent for irrigation purposes, saving potable water.
Batty estimated the cost of a new plant at about $4 million.
The new Pima High School is under construction in the area of Highway 70 and 200 South, and is expected to be open to students for the 2025-26 school year.
