[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Director Owens Announces $260, 000 Water Quality Improvement Grant to Protect Tonto Creek in Gila County

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Director Owens Announces $260,000 Water Quality Improvement Grant
to Protect Tonto Creek in Gila County

PHOENIX (July 16, 2008) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that the department has awarded a
$260,000 Water Quality Improvement Grant to protect water quality in
Tonto Creek in Gila County. 

The grant will be used to install a new wastewater treatment system at
the Tonto Rim Christian Camp to replace existing failed septic system
drainage fields installed at the camp in the 1970s and 1980s.  The new
advanced sewage treatment system will reduce nitrogen content in the
wastewater and use drip irrigation disposal methods that will reduce
contamination in Tonto Creek.

A 2004 ADEQ study on the upper Tonto Creek and Christopher Creek area
found that sewage from humans was one of the major contributors to
pollution of the creeks. The current project will improve water quality
by reducing pollutants entering the creeks.

"This is a very important project for protecting our precious mountain
creeks and returning them to their natural pristine condition," Director
Owens said. "This is one of the most beautiful areas in Arizona, and
this is one of the most important water systems in our state.  This
grant will help protect all of the running water flowing into the Salt
River system."   

The grant is funded with federal dollars provided to ADEQ under the
Clean Water Act.

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News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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