The Town of Camp Verde was recently awarded a $2 million grant for an arsenic removal system at the Mongini well site and the Verde River Estates tank site.
The Mongini well site, which is the Town of Camp Verde’s primary source of water, experienced record usage and rising arsenic levels in 2023 and the town began testing the water monthly rather than quarterly. From February 2022 to February 2023, the Verde River Estates well showed an average of 5.3 parts per billion of arsenic, while the two Mongini wells showed 8 and 9.1 parts per billion.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency tightened the maximum contaminant level standard from 50 ppb to 10 ppb in 2001.
Water pumping at the Mongini Well site has also significantly increased in the past several years due to increased demand on the water system, and town staff believe that higher pumping rates have contributed to the increased arsenic levels in the water.
The funding will be used to construct and install a 2,000 gallons per minute arsenic removal system at the existing Mongini well site and a 50 gpm system at the Verde River Estates tank site. These systems will help fix any potential arsenic violation concerns at both sites.
“The town continues to prioritize investment in key infrastructure to serve our residents and businesses,” Mayor Dee Jenkins said in a press release. “We appreciate the senators supporting this $2 million grant for an arsenic removal system to ensure a safer water supply for our community.”
The town’s 10-year plan focuses on water infrastructure and ensuring access to a high-quality water supply. The town is also working on a water master plan that will prioritize water needs for the next 20 years.
“This project is an essential next step in ensuring a quality water supply for the community,” Utility Director Jeff Low said in a press release. “This project is vital as we work on completing our water system master plan.”
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly [D] and Kyrsten Sinema [I] had recently announced that they secured over $125 million in federal investments to support projects in communities across the state, including rural water projects like this one.
“With our limited budget, these grant funds are significant to our community,” Jenkins said. “We thank Sens. Kelly and Sinema for recognizing our water infrastructure needs and championing our funding request. Without funding assistance like this, the town would have to seek other funding options such as debt to fund this project.”
