Chandler Reclaimed Water Interconnect Facility

Completed in early 2025, the City of Chandler Reclaimed Water Interconnect Facility (RWIF) treats water from the Salt, Verde and Colorado Rivers and utilizes Chandler’s reclaimed water distribution system for delivery to several aquifer recharge sites owned by the city.  

The RWIF project is a membrane water treatment facility that allows the city to increase the volume of water delivered to recharge the aquifer beneath the city and enhance the sustainability of the aquifer. Aquifer health is a priority for the city because groundwater is a reliable back-up supply that may be needed during times of drought.

The public-private partnership represents an innovative way to utilize existing infrastructure to deliver surface water supplies to the city’s recharge facilities, while also providing water supplies to Intel, which is building two new fabs on its Chandler-based campus to manufacture semiconductor chips. The City of Chandler and Intel split the cost of the project.

The RWIF was designed to handle a flow of 10 million gallons per day (MGD). Project features include a new raw water pump station with three submersible pumps; strainer facility to remove debris from canal water; 10 MGD membrane facility with 16 membranes and the option to expand to 20 membranes; electrical, as well as blower and chemical facilities to house support equipment, allowing proper cleaning and operation of the membrane facility. 

McCarthy originally completed the award-winning expansion of the AWRF in late 2014, which increased its capacity to 22 MGD. The facility was named the 2015 Water Reuse Project of the Year by the Arizona Water Association.