CURRENT STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

                                                  PHASE I

   INTERSECTION SOMERTON AVENUE AND FERN STREET

This project involves the reconstruction of Somerton Avenue from Fern Street to south of Patricia Street. It includes the removal of the old asphalt, the installation of geogrid fabric, an aggregate base, new curb, gutter and sidewalk, asphalt concrete pavement, street lighting, and a new drainage system for the Fern Street intersection. This project will eliminate the intersection flooding that occurs after storms.

 The construction will be done in two phases. The first phase began on April 24, 2007 at the intersection of Fern Street and Somerton Avenue. The work   includes the installation of a new drainage system which is the most important issue in this phase. The estimated time to finish this phase is approximately 26 calendar days. The second phase will be from Crane Street to Patricia Street. It will begin immediately upon completion of the first phase and includes all work mentioned above. The estimated time to complete both phase 1 and Phase 2 will be approximately 135 calendar days.  

If you have any question about the project, please contact the Public Works Department at (928) 627-9876 and 627-7432.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT WATER WASTE

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE WATER IN THE KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY

1. Use your automatic dishwasher only for full loads.
2. Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads
3. If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have only one sink, gather washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a manful of hot water.
4. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Just rinse them in a stopped sink or a pan of clean water.
5. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful.
6. Check faucet and pipes for leaks. Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week and often can be repaired with only an inexpensive washer.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE WATER IN THE BATHROOM

1. Take shorter showers. Long, hot showers can waste five to ten gallons every unneeded minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off.
2. Install water-saving shower heads of flow restrictors. Your local hardware or plumbing supply store stocks inexpensive water-saving shower heads to restrictors that are easy to install.
3. Take baths. A bath in a partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.
4. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. There is no need to keep water pouring down the drain. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing.
5. Rinse your razors in the sink. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of warm water. This will rinse your blade just as well as running water. And far less wastefully.
6. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Even the smallest drip from a worn washer can waste 20 or more gallons a day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE WATER OUTSIDE

1. When you do water, do it long enough for the moisture to soak down to the roots where it will do the most good. A light sprinkling can evaporate quickly and tends to encourage shallow root systems.
2. Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning generally is better than dusk since it helps prevent growth of fungus.
3. Don't water the gutter. Position your sprinklers so water lands on the lawn or garden, not on paved areas. Also avoid watering on windy days.
4. Plant drought-resistant trees and plants. Many beautiful trees and plants thrive with far less watering than other species.
5. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture and discourage weed growth, too.
6. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
7. Don't run the hose while washing your car. Clean the car with a pail of soapy water. Use the hose just to rinse it off.
8. Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings. Leaks outside the house may not seem as bad since the'

CITY OF SOMERTON WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

The construction and operation of the new City of Somerton Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) promotes economic development, supports the City's continued growth, and resolves the human health and environmental issues.

The technology for the new wastewater treatment plant is to replace the existing lagoon system with Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR). The new WWTP is currently under construction and completion is anticipated to the end of 2006. During construction Somerton operates two of the three lagoons with added surface aeration and a flow curtain to minimize short circuiting.

With the construction of the New Wastewater Treatment Plant the biological treatment was increased 30% the capacity of gallons per day over current conditions. The new WWTP includes expandability to 1.6 mgd capacity in 0.2 mgd increments on 1.5 acre area site formerly lagoon No. 3. Closure of the two remaining lagoons is planned upon completion; start-up and commissioning of the new WWTP will provide the City of with an additional 12 acres of land for various municipal uses and of economic development projects.

Construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant

For more information contact:
Edmundo Mendez, Public Works Director
eddiem@cityofsomerton.com
Richard Wasser Chief Operator

                         City of Somerton

                                   2006 Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report.

The City of Somerton is pleased to present to you this year's Annual Quality Water Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

The Water Main Replacement Project Phase I and Phase II have been completed. We are currently working on Phase II which will start construction on Junuary 2007.

In July 2006 at the Water Treatment Plant the greensand and anthracite were replaced in the pressure filters to improve the water quality.

Also, the City of Somerton is presently working with personnel of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC) to conduct a Corrosion Test Study.  Water samples are currently being collected and delivered to their laboratory.  Successful completion of this study will provide information of the corrosion and blending affects of distribution systems using Colorado River surface water and ground water wells.  The City of Somerton is aggressively pursuing technology and treatment techniques to meet and exceed drinking water standards.

The City of Somerton is currently working on a Water Master Plan to improve our existing facilities with the help of Stantec Consulting Group from Tucson, Arizona, and funded by WIFA.

Water Sources

The City of Somerton source of water consists of four wells located within the

City.  Well No. 1 is a 1,000 gallon per minute (gpm) capacity well with a deep turbine pump driven by a 50 HP electric motor.  Well No. 2 is a 2,000 gpm capacity well with a deep turbine pump driven by a 75 HP electric motor.  Well No. 3 is a 2,000 gpm capacity well with a 150 HP electric motor. Well No. 4 is a 2000 GPM capacity well with deep turbine pump driven by a 150 HP electric motors. Well No. 2 and No. 3 are backed up by a generator to insure a constant supply of water to our consumers.  There is one booster station which supplies the distribution system.  The City has a 750 acre feet allotment of Colorado River water and currently purchasing water rights from Somerton residents not currently being used. 

The City of Somerton routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

¨       Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

¨       Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or results from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.

¨       Pesticides and herbicides, which may   come   from   a   variety   of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

¨       Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can, also, come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

¨       Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Health Information

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 paps is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age.  High levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome.  Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods because of rainfall and agriculture activity.  You should ask for advice from your health care provider, if you are caring for an infant.

                                                                       Water Treatment Plant

 Drinking Water

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline     (1-800-426-4791).

                                          Water Storage Tanks

The source of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) includes rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

 This report contains important information about your drinking water.  Translate it, or speak with someone who understands it.

 If you have any questions or need assistance to interpret this report, please contact Edmundo Mendez at the Public Works Dept. at (928) 627-4115.  We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility

If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled council meetings.  The meetings are held on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays of the month at the Annex Library

The council meetings start at 7:00 p.m.

                                                   Distribution System Pumping Satation

Test Results

We are listing the results of the tests for some inorganic contaminants that are of concern to some persons because of their special health conditions.