Wally Coates

The Verde River Citizens Alliance participated in a field trip to study the new wetlands project at the Jerome Wastewater Treatment Plant on Saturday, September 21. The group met at the old Jerome High School parking lot at 9 a.m.

VRCA members and guests learned about Jerome's innovative and extremely cost-effective design solution addressing one of the most pressing problems in the area, the appropriate processing of wastewater. The town has made exceptional progress and may be able to advise other communities with similar projects. The plant exceeds Environmental Protection Agency standards for reclaimed water, and is the only constructed wetlands in the Verde Valley.

Guides were Jerome Councilmember Jane Moore, plant operator Wally Coates and Jan Allbright of the Arizona Wetlands Research Foundations. They taught how constructed wetlands work, various systems of water processing and innovative concepts used at the Jerome site that increase systems efficiency.

Photos by Diane Joens