Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: This picture of the Gila River at the 8th Avenue Bridge was taken at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. Safford will receive nearly $2.8 million in federal funds for its water distribution system.
Staff Reports
WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema announced the investment of $2,758,697 to the city of Safford to make key improvements to the city’s water distribution system.
The senators also announced that $1,626,780 was granted to La Paz County’s Bouse Domestic Water Improvement District.
“Every Arizona community needs a reliable and safe drinking water supply to thrive. Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the City of Safford and the Bouse Water District will receive the resources necessary to secure their water future,” said Sen. Kelly.
“All Arizonans deserve access to a clean, safe, and reliable water supply. The investments we secured for Safford and La Paz County are a major step towards a cleaner, stronger water future for families and businesses,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
The $2,758,697 for Safford will be used to install water lines to provide service to underserved residential areas, connecting residents to waterlines that will guarantee access to clean, reliable drinking water for roughly 10,000 Arizonans.
The $1,626,780 for Bouse Domestic Water Improvement District will be used to bring the current water system up to meet Arizona Department of Environmental Quality standards for reliable water. The undersized water lines will be replaced and upgraded, a water treatment system will be installed for arsenic removal, an operations building added, both a new well and a 70,000-gallon water storage tank will be developed, and other necessary additions to bring the aged system up to modern standards.
Kelly and Sinema’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the strongest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in U.S. history, delivering clean water to millions of American families – and more than $8 billion to strengthen water infrastructure throughout the American West, such as aging infrastructure, water storage, water recycling, drought contingency plans, and dam safety. This funding specifically includes $300 million over the next five years for water reclamation operations under the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan.
