Avondale adopts $303.5M water and sewer roadmap

Avondale has adopted a new long-range utility plan that identifies about $303.5 million in water and wastewater capital needs as the city prepares for water demand and sewer flows to nearly double by buildout.

The City Council adopted Resolution 1068-1026 on Oct. 5, according to the city’s official Summary of Action. The accompanying 2026 Integrated Utility Master Plan outlines projects and planning assumptions through 2035 and at ultimate buildout.

The adoption does not appropriate $303.5 million or authorize every project in the plan. City staff said each capital recommendation will still go through Avondale’s normal budgeting and approval process. That distinction matters because more than half of the estimated cost is assigned to long-term projects beyond 2035.

Demand is projected to nearly double

The plan projects Avondale’s average daily water demand will increase from 12.8 million gallons per day in 2025 to 23.7 million gallons at buildout. Average wastewater flow is projected to rise from 7 million to 14.6 million gallons per day, while reclaimed-water production is projected to grow from 6.5 million to 13.6 million gallons per day.

The growth assumptions include an estimated population of 96,130 in 2026, rising to about 111,900 by 2040. The model also incorporates planned residential and commercial development under the city’s general plan.

Carollo Engineers, which prepared the plan for Avondale, concluded that the city has adequate water supplies for projected on-project and off-project growth through buildout under its planning assumptions. The portfolio includes Salt River Project water, Central Arizona Project water, groundwater, reclaimed water and stored credits. Avondale also maintains a state designation of assured water supply.

The finding does not eliminate drought risk. The plan separately models reductions to Colorado River supplies and identifies conservation, recharge, storage and additional water-acquisition options for dry conditions.

Nearly $94 million outlined through 2030

For fiscal years 2026 through 2030, the plan identifies about $89.9 million in water-system improvements and $3.7 million in sewer work. Near-term recommendations include rehabilitating Wells 25 and 26, adding five wells, expanding pumping and storage capacity, and upgrading sewer mains where the existing system has capacity constraints.

Another $26.4 million in water projects is assigned to 2031 through 2035. The buildout category contains about $168.5 million in water projects and $15 million in wastewater projects.

The largest single line item is a $130.7 million future connection to a water-treatment facility outside Avondale. The plan treats that as a buildout project, not an immediate construction commitment. Other long-range work includes rehabilitating the Del Rio pump station and storage tank, constructing a south Avondale lift station, and enlarging lift stations and sewer mains as flows reach capacity.

Water reclamation expansion is separate

Avondale’s existing Water Reclamation Facility has a maximum monthly average-day capacity of 9 million gallons. The plan says design work is underway to expand the facility to 12 million gallons per day, with construction anticipated to begin in 2027.

That expansion is a major piece of the city’s growth strategy because it adds wastewater-treatment capacity and produces more reclaimed water. The plan’s $303.5 million capital summary does not include the cost of a later phase that would expand the facility to 15 million gallons per day.

The newly adopted plan replaces the utility roadmap approved in 2018. Its practical effect is to establish the technical basis Avondale will use when deciding which wells, pipelines, pump stations, storage facilities and sewer upgrades move into future capital budgets.

That infrastructure planning is increasingly relevant as major projects advance across the city, including the River West Commerce Center near El Mirage and Indian School roads and other industrial, hotel and residential growth.

Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration representing municipal water and wastewater planning. It does not depict a specific Avondale facility, project design or engineering plan.