Case Study: Desert Water Emergency: City of Yuma, AZ

By Kathleen T. Carroll, Water/Wastewater Treatment Manager, City Of Yuma,
Dave Sobeck, P.E., Associate, Carollo Engineers, and
Archie MacDonald, Vice President Of Sales, Pureflow Filtration Division

In the Southern Arizona desert communities, water is a precious resource. This is especially true for the city of Yuma, AZ, where the average yearly rainfall is only two inches. What makes water even more precious in Yuma is that the city is among the fastest-growing communities in the United States. The increasing population has contributed to the ever-increasing need for potable water. Since building a new plant would not meet the city's immediate needs, the solution was to treat the two existing wells on the east side of the city that were contaminated with iron and manganese.