The Town of Cave Creek is about to break ground on a new water interconnect project with the City of Phoenix and it just received a much-needed financial boost from the federal infrastructure bill recently approved by Congress and President Biden. The funding will help provide design phase assistance and complete construction services for a new potable water supply connection with the City of Phoenix. The new connection will enhance the reliability of the Town’s water system and provide up to 1.4 million gallons per day, or approximately half the Town’s current peak day demand.
“We are extremely grateful for this federal grant. The $2 million in funding represents about 10% of the total project cost which will significantly reduce the amount of interest and financing paid by the Town of Cave Creek,” said Cave Creek Mayor Bob Morris. Most of Cave Creek’s general fund revenues are derived from sales tax dollars.
Cave Creek provides water service to approximately 4,400 customers in Cave Creek and Desert Hills. All of the town’s surface water supplies are from the Colorado River delivered via the Central Arizona Project (CAP). The Town connects to this water from a single 12.5-mile pipeline with four in-line boosters feeding one treatment plant.
“Not only will the Phoenix Interconnect greatly increase the reliability of the Town’s water supply from CAP, but it will also help maintain the delivery system. In the winter months, the Town could run its system off the interconnect to allow for major maintenance and upgrades on its pipeline, booster pump station, and water treatment plant,” according to Cave Creek Water Utility Director Shawn Kreuzwiesner.
Work on the interconnect is expected to start this April, with the project set to be completed by the Spring of 2026. “Special thanks to our colleagues throughout our local, regional, and federal government for their leadership and support throughout the grant application process. It is a very exciting accomplishment for our Town,” concluded Mayor Morris.
