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Sanitary district<br>celebrates honor

TUSAYAN — Calling the South Grand Canyon Sanitary District "a model for all the world," public officials and local businesspeople gathered Thursday in Tusayan to honor the district, which was named the Arizona Small Wastewater Facility of the Year at the Arizona Water Pollution Control Association’s 74th annual convention in Mesa a few months ago.

The South Grand Canyon Sanitary District celebrated its award from the Arizona Pollution Control Association Thursday afternoon. From left, SGCSD board president Pete Shearer, board member Chris Thurston, Coconino County supervisor Deb Hill, former board president John Rueter, plant superintendent Bob Petzoldt and board members Ed Ramsey and Wayne Johnson. Not pictured: Board member Robbie Evans.

Deb Hill, Coconino County supervisor, Bill Towler, county director of community development, and Jerry Breckinridge of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality were among those on hand for a special luncheon at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn.

"This is all about reuse — using water and conserving water," said John Rueter, former sanitary district board president. "It’s a lot of hard work to get to this point."

Perhaps the most impressive statement coming out of last week’s event was the fact that the local district is No. 1 in the entire country when it comes to reclaimed water use per capita. The district goes beyond using reclaim only for irrigation; it’s also heavily used for toilets.

"I’ve traveled all over ... and have found places using reclaim for irrigation and golf courses," Rueter said. "But not too many are using it for toilets. I realized we were in the forefront of the country in terms of reclaim use."

Bob Petzoldt, Tusayan Wastewater Treatment Plant supervisor for the past seven years, went over the various phases involved with reclaim water. The plant goes through a 750,000 gallons per day process. The facility features a 300,000-gallon water holding tank for Tusayan use along with emergencies, such as firefighting.

"I feel proud and privileged to be part of this district," Petzoldt said.

Greg Bryan, president of the Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce, said the sanitary district is an example of the community’s goal to improve the visitor experience and conserve water to protect Grand Canyon’s seeps and springs.

Rueter said the next big step for the community will be to tackle the solid waste issue. Currently, that type of waste is trucked to a landfill on the other side of Flagstaff.

"It would be my challenge and request that everybody go home and think about that," Rueter told the audience.

Rueter, one of the key players over the years in the district’s advancements, went over a brief history of reclaim water use, beginning with Grand Canyon National Park’s facility, which was state-of-the-art in 1927.

Rueter and current district board president Pete Shearer were drivers who hauled reclaim water out of the park to Tusayan in the 1970s. In the coming years, the district was formed and the sewer plant went through several expansions, the most recent being a $4.2 million upgrade in 1995.

"We can’t rest on our laurels," Rueter said. "There’s a lot of responsibility with using reclaim water and potable water with cross connections and such. It’s the goal someday to have all toilets and all irrigation on reuse water."


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