Far West ordered to fix sewer problems

Company will repair four lift stations in Foothills as part of odor investigation

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has ordered the Far West Water and Sewer Co. to repair problems at four of its sewer lift stations in the Foothills as part of an investigation into persistent odor complaints lodged by residents.

The violations noted in the ADEQ consent order, which requires the company to meet a series of deadlines to replace corroded walls and pipes and fix broken pumps, arose from an inspection by a water quality division inspector, said Erin Jordan, a spokesperson for the agency.

If the conditions aren’t met, Far West could face civil action from the state. A consent order carries more weight, in this sense, than other notices issued by the agency that inform facilities of a violation but don’t set out a specific timeline in which they must be rectified.

A separate report from the air quality division focusing on the odor complaints is expected to be finalized early next week, Jordan said.

The order was signed on Wednesday by Far West President Paula Capestro. The utility serves about 16,000 water customers in the Foothills and the city of Yuma, and 8,000 sewer customers in the unincorporated Foothills area.

Far West Manager Andy Capestro, Paula’s husband, said on Friday that meeting the order’s requirements will be “easy sneezy,” in part because two of the lift stations mentioned will be decommissioned this summer.

The document says that in February, an inspector found “deficiencies that demonstrate a failure to maintain structural integrity in a sewage collection system,” specifically corroded walls, pipes and bolts at lift stations 7, 15 and 16. Lift stations are used to pump sewage waste uphill within a system.

The inspector also found “failure to prevent sanitary

sewer overflows through appropriate sizing, capacities and inflow and infiltration prevention measures,” because lift stations 15, 16 and the Palm Shadows station (40th Street at Mesa Drive) did not have two functioning station pumps, as required under state law.

The order gives Far West 15 days to have the pumps fixed or hire a firm to fix them, 30 days to show evidence it has funding to repair or replace the four lift stations, and 150 days to fix the corroded walls at stations 7, 15 and 16. The company must also amend its permits for its three wastewater treatment plants to include chemical and bacteriological odor controls for the system.

Andy Capestro said lift stations 7 (next to Foothills Bank on Foothills Boulevard and 38th Street) and 16 (Foothills Boulevard between 45th and 46th streets) are scheduled to be taken out of service in coming months and will be replaced by one being brought online on 40th Street.

“Those are being decommissioned mostly because it will get us better processing, and also if there are any odors coming out of those two lift stations,” he said.

There is weakening around the top of lift station 15, at the corner of 49th Lane and Driftwood Drive, which will need to be addressed, he said. The hydrogen sulfide gas produced by sewage systems can corrode concrete, and “quite frankly, it’s hard to repair them when there’s flow going through them at all times,” he said.

All of the lift station pumps included in the order were fixed by the time the consent order was signed this week, he said.

He said Far West is continuing to use chemicals and biological agents, including microbes that consume biosolid waste, to control odors emanating from the sewer system. “They (ADEQ) just wanted them in the permit,” he said, and he is hoping to have enough flexibility to upgrade to the latest advancements when they become available.

Capestro said he’s hoping the lift station fixes decrease the smelliness experienced by the Foothills area: “I think that once I get the lift station on 40th Street up and running, I can add extra chemicals and biologics there, and that’ll help the odors overall. It will take care of any odors on 16, 17, and it will assist at Section 14 wastewater treatment plant (located on Avenue 14E).”

Foothills residents have reported smelling sewer-related odors for 15 years or more, with many describing them as worst during the evenings and early mornings. The volume of complaints has gone up and down over the years.

An increase beginning with the arrival of winter residents last fall led to a February meeting orchestrated by County Supervisor Darren Simmons, who represents the area. It was attended by hundreds of residents who voiced their frustrations to several ADEQ representatives, and was followed up by air and water quality investigations by the agency.

Janell Edgier Iverson, who started a Yuma Foothills Sewer Group on Facebook last year, said Friday she’s pleased the state has ordered Far West to take some immediate actions that could improve the olfactory situation.

“Once the air quality finding report is released, the expectation I have, as a resident, is that a comprehensive plan will be developed and implemented to address all issues that relate to the health, safety and quality of life in our community.

“The issue of methane (sewer) gas odor in our community needs to be fully and finally resolved,” she said.