None of the wastewater treated at the Ocotillo Water Reclamation Facility in Chandler, Ariz., is sent to a receiving river or lake. All of the plant’s 8.6 mgd of effluent is reused — for aquifer recharge, urban and farm irrigation, or industrial process water.
It’s not surprising that a community in the Sonoran Desert would place a high value on water. Chandler, a Phoenix suburb, gets about nine inches of rain a year. Even in March, the wettest month, it only gets about an inch. All new developments are required to use reclaimed water whenever possible. Reclamation is also cost-effective, as
