Work is progressing nicely on a $9 million improvement project at the Sanitary District’s sewage treatment plant.

That’s the word from district Manager Ron Huber, who is looking forward to operating the enhanced wastewater plant, likely sometime in late 2009.

MGC Contractors is the general contractor on site coordinating the various improvements and additions.

The district, a separate governmental entity from the Town of Fountain Hills, had enough financial resources in its budget to pay for the expensive project.

Much of the money is coming from monthly sewer user fees that have been banked, since connection and other growth-related revenues have dropped considerably for the district.

Despite the timing, Huber said the project is not connected in any fashion to the possible annexation of Ellman Cos. owned land by the district in northern Fountain Hills.

“This project has been in our master plan for years,” Huber said.

“Nothing is being done here to specifically accommodate the (former) state trust land.”

The district has entered into negotiations with the developer over a possible pre-annexation agreement (see separate story elsewhere).

Huber described the $9 million plant project as a “combination of growth, extension and replacement” at the raw sewage facility.

“It’s the first real project we’ve had at the plant that involves substantial replacement or extension of existing components,” Huber said.

The plant is currently rated to handle 2.6 million gallons of sewage per day, and when the project is done it will be rated for 2.9 MGD.

That figure basically represents the capacity needed to accommodate the complete buildout of Fountain Hills – not counting the Ellman property.

Huber said the improvements will help modernize the plan, make it operate more efficiently and cut down on potential noises emanating from the site.

“After it’s done, our flows will remain roughly constant all day throughout the plant, making things easier to operate,” Huber added.

“We won’t have the up and down surges that make it tougher to operate the plan on a consistent basis.

“And we will have less fluctuation in our effluent quality.”

Effluent is reclaimed wastewater or the liquid by-product remaining after the sewage treatment process.

Additional improvements are planned for the plant, but not until the year 2017.