ACC implements partial moratorium on new hookups; clears the way for Queen Creek interconnections
By Dana Trumbull
The first step to overcoming a problem is admitting that you have a problem. From that standpoint, San Tan Valley residents, whose complaints about Johnson Utilities’ subpar service had been ignored for many years, are finally seeing progress toward a working solution to their water and waste utility woes.
Last month, EPCOR, recently assigned as interim manager for Johnson Utilities by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), released a 300 page assessment that concluded, “Johnson Utilities systems are poorly performing, and there is a high risk of operational failure, environmental impacts and service interruptions to system customers.” The estimated cost of their proposed solutions to remediate immediate deficiencies, safety compliance and capacity came to just under $100 million, with future recommended improvements totaling nearly $80 million. These estimates address rebuilding the existing system without adding capacity for future development.
