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Sedona Wetlands and Wastewater

Sedona Wetlands

Sedona wetlands on SR 89A are treated wastewater effluent ponds

Sedona AZ (January 24, 2013) – You’ve surely noticed lovely new ponds along Rte 89A, just west of Sedona, on the road’s north side–with flocks of birds and lush plants nearby—sitting across the road from a network of white pipes spouting water. One is the new Sedona Wetlands Preserve; the other is a system for disposing effluent from the town’s wastewater treatment facility.

What is going on there–on both sides of the road? How are the two areas connected? What else might pop up in that area? A solar field? A new Cultural Park? Did you know Sedona’s effluent has achieved an A+ grade? Should you feel proud?

These questions and more will be answered by City of Sedona Mayor, Rob Adams, at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Lunch and Learn: Keynote Speaker Program to be held in Room 34 of Yavapai College’s Sedona campus (on Cultural Park Road, across Rte 89A from Red Rock High School) on Wednesday, January 30, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM.

Mayor Adams will explain why Sedona has spent over $34 million in that area over the last six years, why he believes those funds were well-spent, and what his dreams for that area are. (Yes, mayors do have dreams about wetlands and wastewater.)

osher center sedona 2Lunch & Learn series is a “town square” for local residents to gather, chat, and interact with speakers who do interesting and important things in town. This enjoyable, informative, weekly community event is free and open to all.

Bring your lunch (or come for complimentary coffee, tea, water, and a little snack) and join the conversation at 12:30 PM, or come from 1:00 – 2:00 PM to learn Mayor Adams’ thinking, actions, and vision for the wetlands/wastewater area. He will present for up to 30 minutes, and there will be Q & A and discussion for the remaining time.

OLLI is a local, volunteer, peer-to-peer, adult education program. This is the first week of its Winter term and nearly 100 learning groups and workshops are currently available for a nominal fee. For more information about OLLI or the Lunch & Learn program, please call Yavapai College OLLI at 928-649-4275.

This article written and submitted by Kathleen Kline of Yavapai College Osher Lifelong Learners Institute program.

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6 Comments

  1. Warren says:

    “Lunch & Learn” with Adumbs? — Bring a sick bag! More ego tripping and money wasting from our wannabe “venture capitalist” and “visionary” Mayor Adumbs.

    Don’t anyone get too excited about the great sounding “A+ grade” effluent. A+ sewer water still contains pharmaceuticals, chemicals, radioactive isotopes from medical drugs, estrogen mimickers and etc.

    BTW, this is the same A+ effluent that Adumbs and the other environmental vandals on Council have voted to shove underground via an “injection well.” Once underground, they have no idea where it will end up or when.

    I think it should be piped into their homes.

  2. Beginning in February 2013, the City of Sedona Public Works Department will begin a new inspection program.

    The Wastewater Capacity Compliance Program involves conducting random wastewater capacity inspections for non-single family resident users. This group of users includes multi-family dwellings, restaurants, businesses, religious institutions, and professional offices, among others.

    The purpose of the random inspections is to determine if users of the wastewater system are operating within the capacities they have paid capacity fees for, and upon which their monthly user charge is based. The maximum allowable capacity paid for may be higher than the amount upon which the monthly user charge is based.

    The new program randomly selects several accounts each month for inspection. Prior to the actual inspection, attempts will be made to contact the business. An unannounced site visit may occur if contact cannot be made.

    Once an account is selected, it is not subject to another inspection for one year under the program. The City currently has inspection procedures related to issues such as building permit inspections, tenant improvements, and review of complaints or notifications of possible violations. These existing inspections are not part of this program and will continue as appropriate.

    If the capacity compliance inspection shows that a user is operating within both the paid capacity and their monthly billing level, they will pass the inspection. Users whose level of operation exceeds either the paid capacity or monthly billing amount will be required to either pay additional fees or reduce their operation so they are operating within both these limitations.

    For additional information regarding this new program, please contact David Peck, Assistant Engineer, at (928) 204-7108.

  3. Jean says:

    I used to bird the Wastewater Treatment Plant with the local Audubon Society. There were about five overflow ponds on the north side of Hwy 89A where the “new” wetlands are going in.

    Like our local streets and storm drainage, the ponds were not maintained. Soon plant life invaded. Eventually cows were allowed to graze the area and woof down the native and non-native vegetation. Now Sedonans are getting a $250,000-plus wetlands park when we formerly had a nicer wetlands in the very same location.

  4. friend shared this article with me in class ^ do watch TED TALK on cows (& other grazers) grazing native non native vegetation in Kenya proving herd grazers are necessary to not destroy earth, it’s worth the education, saw it sometime back & can’t recall scientist name but he is from Africa & his work led to changing local environmental policies that should have worked but failed. no need to reinvent the wheel in sedona.

  5. Mark says:

    Does anybody remember this comment by a George N. Roy, CPA to an old sewer article in 2011? Time to go down memory lane? Roy wrote and provided this link:

    Have you heard about this? What about Sedona’s cattle ranch on 89A???

    http://azdailysun.com/news/local/66d17e5a-5db9-503a-b245-d3ede8e9bd65.html

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