Somerton commits to provide sewer service for 2 neighborhoods

SOMERTON – Yuma County and the city of Somerton will work together to bring sewer service to two residential subdivisions located on a “county island” inside the city.

The Somerton City Council recently approved issued a letter of commitment guaranteeing the city will provide sewage service to the Rancho Mesa Verde and Orange Grove subdivisions once financing is secured to connect the neighborhoods to the city wastewater treatment system.

The two subdivisions are located in an unincorporated area with the city’s eastern boundaries, but the city and county previously worked together in 2014 to connect Rancho Mesa Verde and Orange Grove to the city’s potable water system.

Diana Veloz, community planning director for the county, said the sewer project has been in planning for several years but is dependent on the county securing financing to bring sewer lines to 332 parcels that have had septic tanks as far back as 1970.

Yuma County Board of Supervisors Chairman Martin Porchas, whose district includes Somerton, said the joint project is the latest in mutual efforts by the county and city improve the quality of life for residents.

“The county is heading this project, but we couldn’t do it without the help of Somerton with the commitment to provide the service. A few years ago we collaborated to bring water service (to the neighborhoods), and now we are working together to bring them sewer service.”

The city needed to approve the letter of commitment to be able to finalize a $500,000 grant from the North American Development Bank, which would finance part

of the $1.3 million estimated cost of designing the sewer hookup.

The total cost of the project, which includes sewer lines buried alongside Highway 95 to carry wastewater from the subdivisions to the city’s sewage treatment plant, is estimated at nearly $20 million.

Porchas said the county, with the help of U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, is seeking additional funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the project.

Somerton Mayor Gerardo Anaya said adding Rancho Mesa and Orange Grove to the city sewer system not only would provide the city more revenue from the residents’ utility rate payments, but, in the longer term, would allow the neighborhoods to be annexed into the city.

“That’s something that was discussed some years back, and we haven’t talked about it since then. But the city would benefit from more users who are providing for revenue from the system, and the project would have no cost for us. It would not impact Somerton residents.”

The new sewer lines and infrastructure would not only serve the two subdivisions but future development on the city’s east side.