By Jon Johnson
PIMA — The Town of Pima is moving forward with a critical sewer expansion project aimed at connecting the newly constructed Pima High School to the municipal wastewater system, while also paving the way for future residential and commercial growth in the area. The initiative, which has been in the planning stages since early 2025, addresses the community’s growing needs, driven by population growth and new infrastructure demands.
Work in the new sewer line has commenced, and when the new lift station arrives and is installed, the school expansion will be complete. The town will then connect north across Highway 70 to eliminate the lift station currently located there.
The existing system includes approximately 13.7 miles of sanitary sewer pipes, more than 230 maintenance holes, and three lift stations, serving roughly 650 residences, businesses, government offices, and schools. Recent home construction has boosted enrollment in the Pima Unified School District (PUSD), prompting the construction of a new 40-acre high school east of the Highway 70 and E 200 South intersection.
Currently, the sewer system does not extend to the new high school site, necessitating an expansion. Without municipal sewer access, developments in the area have relied on septic systems, which require larger lot sizes and can drive up housing costs by limiting the number of homes per development. The new sewer alignment to the school is expected to facilitate future residential neighborhoods around the campus and commercial opportunities along Highway 70.
Engineering firm Bowman Consulting was retained to evaluate the town’s existing sewer infrastructure and propose alignment alternatives. The system is primarily gravity-fed, flowing from south to north toward the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) sewer pond, with intermediate lift stations at 200 South and Highway 70, and a final lift station at the WWTP. The system is divided into three service areas: the 200 South Lift Station (serving about 100 residences), the Highway 70 Lift Station (handling 160 homes, businesses, and schools, plus flow from 200 South), and the Gravity Sewer Service Area (mainly west of Main Street).
Among the alternatives, constructing a pipeline north from the school directly to the sewer ponds was deemed optimal for long-term growth, despite an initial cost estimate of $3.4 million. This route would allow for additional hookups and the potential retirement of older lift stations. A key component is Alternative 2C, which involves replacing the WWTP lift station with a new one east of Ash Creek, enabling gravity flow under the creek and eliminating the existing station.
Funding challenges initially loomed large. The school district secured $1.7 million in state grants for the sewer connection, but early quotes exceeded this amount. In February 2025, the Pima Town Council voted 4-1 to allocate up to $500,000 from local funds, with Councilperson Georgia Luster dissenting. Town Manager Vernon Batty and PUSD Superintendent Sean Rickert pursued additional grants, loans, and private donations to bridge the gap.
By May 2025, private-sector quotes had significantly reduced costs. Bowman Consulting provided a $1.5 million estimate for the pipeline, fitting within the school’s allocation, while the town’s contribution would cover a new lift station costing $350,000 to $400,000. This setup uses a 15-inch line to the new east-side lift station, supporting higher flows and decommissioning the old one. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) approved a temporary solution where the school pumps waste into an existing maintenance hole until the new line is operational.
The project gained further momentum with the awarding of the contract to Judco LLC, a Utah-based firm. The contractor’s proposal outlines construction services funded by the town’s Public Works Department, with work completion targeted for March 2026, followed by a 60-day closeout period. The bid is approximately $1.6 million, $500,000 below the town’s budget. The school is funding about 77.2 percent of the project, covering the new line, while the town covers the new lift station.
The town has also used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for broader sewer upgrades, allocating about $70,000 of its $425,000 allocation to these improvements.
Town officials view the project as a catalyst for growth. “If we have a new line that runs north from there to the sewer ponds, then it gives us the option of running our sewer from our two current in-town lift stations and eliminating those. That’s our ultimate goal,” Batty stated earlier this year. With engineering plans finalized and construction underway, Pima anticipates enhanced infrastructure to support its expanding community by spring 2026.
