Cave Creek readies Phoenix interconnect as utilities staff map other water resilience steps

Cave Creek’s utilities staff told the Town Council they are close to bringing a City of Phoenix interconnect online and outlined a package of short‑ and long‑term steps to shore up the town’s water system.

In a detailed quarterly briefing, Utilities Director Sean said Phoenix has begun a 30‑day functional test of its booster station that will feed the new interconnect site. He said the town expects to do its own functional testing in July and noted the town will not accept the existing pipeline until its booster station is live so the line can be flushed and disinfected. “That water has been sitting there for a number of years. We do believe it’s non‑potable at this point,” Sean said, explaining acceptance requires being able to pressurize and disinfect the line.

Why it matters: the interconnect is intended to provide treated water capacity sufficient to cover a significant portion of peak summer demand and to allow the town to run from the interconnect during winter months while performing major maintenance on its treatment plant. Staff described the site as “the biggest change to the town’s water system since the town bought the system,” and said once the Phoenix feed is operating it will improve operational flexibility and reliability.

Staff described a suite of complementary projects: procuring long‑lead electrical components for a developer‑funded Kahava Springs water campus, upgrading booster stations (including a dual booster at 38th Street), pressure‑zone improvements, and work to return several town wells to service. The report also covered wastewater lift‑station repairs, manhole rehabilitation along Carefree Highway and a recent operation that used ice‑pigging to clear force‑main deposits.

On conservation and metering, staff said 443 customers are enrolled in the AMI/my360 metering portal and urged broader signups to improve leak detection and customer engagement. Sean said the town’s data analyses have already helped identify leaks and high‑use sites and that staff plan to bring in a consultant to further mine hourly metering data for conservation strategies.

Public‑health and regulatory items included an update on a lead service‑line inventory, which so far suggests a small number of customer‑side service lines may need further investigation (Town staff estimated “about five” potential unknowns out of 488 residential services checked). Staff noted that under current EPA guidance the utility is responsible for verifying private‑side service material and that any replacements required by regulation would be a utility expense.

What’s next: staff said Phoenix’s testing should allow town testing in July, at which point the line acceptance and disinfection sequence will proceed. Council members scheduled a town water forum on June 17 to share information with residents and to update on Bureau of Reclamation planning for Colorado River reductions.

The utilities presentation included technical detail and capital cost estimates for longer‑term projects but did not commit the town to any immediate large bond or rate action; council members asked staff to continue public outreach and to bring back required approvals and cost estimates as projects move from planning to procurement.