Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2025-09 and Ordinance No. 2025-03:  An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff, amending the Flagstaff City Code, Title 13-09-002-0012, Private Pressure Wastewater Mains and Services.
 

This code amendment will allow for publicly owned pressure wastewater systems, mains, and services and outlines the standards and specifications for new pressure wastewater mains, lift stations, and services. The current code prohibits the public ownership of pressurized wastewater mains. 
 

There are ongoing costs associated with the ownership and operation of pressure wastewater systems. The code amendment will include 10 years Operation and Maintenance Costs to be paid by the developer. The City will collect the standard water and wastewater buy-in fees and rates from the new customers connected to pressure wastewater mains and systems. By being proactive in this decision the City will set a high standard for lift station construction and avoids the potential of taking over a lift station that has been improperly maintained under private ownership.

This will enact a new policy to allow for public ownership of pressurized wastewater systems. This is currently prohibited by City Code.

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1 . Approve the proposed Pressure Wastewater Code Amendment text.
2. Do not approve Pressure Wastewater Code Amendment text, pressure wastewater systems for developments requiring pressure systems will be privately owned and operated.

The current City of Flagstaff code does not allow for any public pressurized wastewater systems. Historically, any development projects that required a pressure wastewater system were reviewed on a case by case basis. The city currently owns and operates one low pressure wastewater system for a small portion of a subdivision and one lift station that pumps wastewater into the Rio de Flag Wastewater Plant. There are large areas within the city limits that do not gravity flow to a treatment plant and will require some kind of pressure wastewater system to be able to provide wastewater service. Water Services is now proposing a code change that would allow for public pressurized wastewater systems within these areas that are outside the gravity wastewater shed for the wastewater treatment plants. Water Services has researched other municipalities in Arizona and throughout the nation that allow for pressurized wastewater systems. Water Services is recommending a policy change that would allow for the public ownership of pressurized wastewater systems and lift stations. This will mitigate the risk to the City by ensuring that all new lift stations that are to be publicly owned are built to a high standard. Other municipalities have faced forced takeovers of pressure wastewater systems that were built to poor standards which can put unexpected burdens on the local utility. Water Services also sees benefit in providing wastewater service to these areas as it will create additional reclaimed water from the additional wastewater collected. The new policy would still allow for private ownership in certain cases if water services does not see benefit in ownership.

Connection to PBB Priorities/Objectives, Carbon Neutrality Plan & Regional Plan: The code amendment allows for pressurized wastewater mains to be extended to areas that are unable to be served by gravity wastewater systems. This limits new septic installations and allows the city to recover reclaimed water from previous septic customers as well as new customers that would be on septic. This benefits the reclaimed water supply and water quality concerns that can arise from densely spaced septic systems. It also provides equitable water and wastewater service to those outside of the gravity wastewater shed. The new standards will allow for the extension of the public system within the Urban Growth Boundary to new areas that may otherwise be served by a private entity.  

 

High Performing Governance: Serve the public by providing high quality customer service 
Sustainable and Innovative Infrastructure: Utilize existing long-range plans that identify the community’s future infrastructure needs and all associated costs
 

Goal PF.2.: Provide sustainable and equitable public facilities, services, and infrastructure systems in an efficient and effective manner to serve all population areas and demographics.
Goal WR.3: Satisfy current and future human water demands and the needs of the natural environment through sustainable and renewable water resources and strategic conservation measure.
Goal WR.4: Logically enhance and extend the City’s public water, wastewater, and reclaimed water services including their treatment, distribution, and collection systems in both urbanized and newly developed areas of the City to provide an efficient delivery of services.
Goal WR.6: Protect, preserve, and improve the quality of surface water, groundwater, and reclaimed water in the region.
Goal CD.1: Improve the City and County financial systems to provide for needed infrastructure development and rehabilitation, including maintenance and enhancement of existing infrastructure.

 WS-1 Improve water infrastructure and expand water reuse.

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