Effluent Recharge Expansion and PFAS Concerns
Summary
The town will spend $659,358 testing whether special infiltration technology can help stormwater soak into the town's clay-rich soils instead of causing flooding and erosion — protecting the aquifer and downstream neighborhoods. The two-year study happens at the Pronghorn 21 development.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 7
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 22, 2026.
Impact analysis
$659,358 on a time-and-materials basis over roughly two years.
Residents downstream of storm runoff and anyone who relies on the aquifer — potentially town-wide if the technology proves out.
Unchecked growth could strain the aquifer, per the resident's testimony.
Mentions & discussions (7)
Town Council Regular Meeting — October 22, 2026
Quailwood Wells 2, 3, and 4 were pulled from service after testing near or above EPA limits for PFAS 'forever chemicals.' The town is building treatment at Well 3 with EPA grant and forgivable loan funding, though one councilman worried sewage effluent could recontaminate other wells.
Special Town Council Regular Meeting (Business) — August 6, 2026
The plant is hitting capacity limits because wastewater solids are up ~50% while flows lag — operators lack the redundancy to take equipment offline safely. A phased plan adds basins now (capacity for ~62,500 people by 2030) with membrane bioreactors later, at roughly $100 million for the phased build versus $200 million for full MBR.
[Archived] Town Council Regular Meeting Thursday — June 25, 2026
A resident warned that approved-but-unbuilt development — around 10,000 housing units — could strain the town's finite groundwater. Separately, the council advanced PFAS treatment at Quailwood Well 3, aided by a $4.2 million state loan with 90% forgiveness and a $2.1 million EPA grant.
[Archived] Town Council Regular Meeting Thursday — May 28, 2026
A Matrix New World Engineering agreement expands the wastewater effluent recharge facility footprint to increase aquifer recharge. One councilmember raised concerns about introducing PFAS-contaminated effluent into the drinking water aquifer and the town's 2007 sale of 2,724 acre-feet of water rights to Water Asset Management.
[Archived] Regular Town Council Meeting Thursday — April 23, 2026
Three wells in the Quailwood system remain offline due to PFAS contamination, with readings staying static. A heavily forgiven WIFA loan will fund pipeline work to make the lower water system more resilient and interconnected.
[Archived] Regular Town Council Meeting Thursday — March 12, 2026
The town is piloting a way to get stormwater into the aquifer instead of losing 95 percent of rain to evaporation, with $40,000 from Salt River Project. A companion project is underway in Red Rock, Arizona.
[Archived] Regular Town Council Meeting Thursday — January 8, 2026
The town will spend $659,358 testing whether special infiltration technology can help stormwater soak into the town's clay-rich soils instead of causing flooding and erosion — protecting the aquifer and downstream neighborhoods. The two-year study happens at the Pronghorn 21 development.
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