Town of Queen Creek

The Town of Queen Creek is proud to present our 2017 Annual Water Quality Report. As in previous years, we remain committed to delivering high-quality municipal water while maintaining affordability for our residents.

Our dedication extends to meeting evolving regulations, protecting source water, promoting conservation, and engaging with our community through education and outreach while serving all our water users' needs.

The Water Division finished 2017 with over 27,000 active connections, reflecting remarkable growth in both residential and commercial development. We anticipate continued expansion, projecting a service population of approximately 80,000 by the end of 2020.

We've focused on system integrity through regular maintenance and painting of water storage tanks to preserve water quality and extend structural lifespan. Approximately five miles of new water mainlines have been installed to improve system efficiency.

Our aggressive meter testing and replacement program helps ensure accurate measurement, minimizing water loss. We've continued rehabilitating and converting agricultural wells to municipal water sources to meet growing demand.

Our technology team continuously evaluates and develops methods to increase efficiency, allowing staff remote access to information for faster response to work orders and emergencies. Customer access to billing information and municipal water data has also been improved.

2017 saw the first phase implementation of Flexnet meter reading, enabling remote access to water meters and real-time monitoring. We value our community partnership and look forward to continued service.

Important Health Information

While your water meets EPA arsenic standards, it may contain low levels. The EPA's standard balances current understanding of arsenic's potential health effects against removal costs. EPA continues researching low-level arsenic exposure, which at high concentrations causes cancer and is linked to skin damage and circulatory problems.

Nitrate levels above 10 ppm pose health risks for infants under 6 months, potentially causing "blue baby syndrome." Levels can rise rapidly due to rainfall or agricultural activity. If caring for an infant, consult your healthcare provider.

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to contaminants than the general population. Immunocompromised persons (cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly, and infants) should seek advice from healthcare providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on reducing infection risk from Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Source Water Assessment

In 2002, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality completed an assessment of six groundwater wells used by Queen Creek Water Division. The assessment examined surrounding land uses that might pose contamination risks, including gas stations, landfills, dry cleaners, agricultural fields, sewage treatment plants, and mining activities.

ADEQ identified adjacent land uses and ranked the source water according to potential contamination risk. The six wells received a low risk rating from both nearby land use and source water. For more information, contact Nicole Petker, Water Resources Analyst, at (480) 358-3459 or Nicole.Petker@queencreek.org.

Your Water Footprint

While many understand their carbon footprint, fewer know about their water footprint - the total freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual, community, or business.

For example:

• 11 gallons of water irrigate and clean the fruit in a half-gallon container of juice
• 37 gallons produce your morning cup of coffee
• 264 gallons produce one quart of milk
• 4,200 gallons produce two pounds of beef

According to the EPA, average Americans use 300 gallons daily. In developed nations, one toilet flush uses as much water as a person in a developing country uses all day for cooking, cleaning, washing, and drinking.

The annual North American water footprint is about 8,500 cubic feet per person, twice the global average. With water use increasing six-fold in the past century, our demands increasingly exceed what the planet can replenish.

FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease)

When you pour fats, oils, or grease down your sink, you contribute to costly sewer system problems. FOG coats pipe walls in your home and throughout the community. Over time, these greasy deposits create blockages that can cause sewage backups into parks, yards, streets, and storm drains, contaminating local waters.

Contact with untreated wastewater poses public health hazards. FOG in waste systems and drain fields can cause malfunctions requiring frequent tank pump-outs. Communities spend billions annually unclogging grease-blocked pipes, repairing pump stations, and cleaning illegal sewage spills.

Tips to maintain a well-functioning system:

• NEVER pour fats, oils, or grease down house or storm drains
• NEVER dispose of food scraps by flushing
• NEVER use toilets as wastebaskets
• ALWAYS collect grease in waste containers for disposal with garbage
• ALWAYS place food scraps in waste containers for disposal with solid waste
• ALWAYS use wastebaskets for solid wastes like diapers, personal hygiene products, and wipes (even "flushable" ones that don't biodegrade quickly enough)

Water Source Information

Queen Creek's municipal water comes from groundwater wells. Water is pumped from 14 active wells throughout Queen Creek, either distributed directly into the circulation system or stored in reservoirs for future use. A small amount of chlorine disinfection is applied at entry points to the distribution system.

.. ...