Gila County Receives Water Quality Improvement Grant

PHOENIX - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Director Steve Owens announced that the department has awarded a $258,300 grant to Gila County to fund a water quality improvement project. The Gila County Division of Health & Community Services will use the grant to continue to replace, repair, and upgrade outdated wastewater systems, such as illegal cesspools, privies and failing septic tanks in the Tonto Creek headwaters and Christopher Creek areas. Several inadequate wastewater systems will be replaced to protect public health, improve the water quality of Tonto Creek and Christopher Creek and protect groundwater in the area. ADEQ has identified human sewage as a major contributing factor to pollution adversely impacting Tonto Creek and Christopher Creek. "This grant will help Gila County protect the health and safety of County residents by improving surface water quality and preventing contamination of groundwater," Director Owens said. "We are delighted to support the County in this important effort." ADEQ Director Steve Owens awarded Gila County with a ceremonial check for the grant at a meeting of the Gila County Board of Supervisors in Globe. In 2005, ADEQ awarded Gila County $252,764 to begin the much-needed work on the wastewater systems in the area. The current grant will enable the County to continue its work and protect contamination of water supplies in the area. With the two grants, ADEQ has provided over $511,000 to Gila County for the project in the last two years. The grants are funded with federal dollars provided to ADEQ under the Clean Water Act.