Thomas Prior is the 2017 Marvin Andrews Scholar. As part of his scholarship, he will be interning at the Town of Marana through August.
This week I spent some time with the folks responsible for managing the Town’s most precious resource: water. Marana’s Water Department is not only responsible for cleaning the drinking water which flows from the faucets, but they also handle the Town’s wastewater systems.
The Town has a handful of wells and water tanks ranging in size: the largest tank can hold a shocking 1.8 million gallons of water. Town’s Staff works vigilantly to provide proactive maintenance on the water systems. Part of this proactive maintenance includes sending scuba divers into the water tanks for routine inspections and cleaning. With proper care, these vital assets to the Town’s infrastructure will survive for years and years.
While being pumped from the ground, the water is cleaned with chlorine, making it safe to drink. In contrast to the water treatment process, the reclaimed water is subject to a much more extensive method in order to eliminate any contaminants which may be harmful to the environment.
The amount of effort required to provide safe drinking water and managing the Town’s wastewater system is beyond amazing. The Water Department maintains some of the most important pieces of infrastructure within Marana. Currently a new water tank is being constructed as well as an expansion to the wastewater treatment plant. As the Town’s needs continue to grow, it is exciting to witness Marana planning for the future and investing into the proper infrastructure.
