According the Sanitary District Board Chairman Gregg Dudash, construction is slated to begin as soon as this week for two new facilities in Fountain Park to house public restrooms and equipment to operate Sanitary District recharge wells underground. Dudash made the comments to the Town Council at a session in May.

This is a $2.4 million Sanitary District project with an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Fountain Hills for restroom maintenance.

The district had determined that it needed to replace underground vaults that house electrical and pumping equipment for its recharge and recovery wells for storage of treated wastewater. They found the existing facilities in bad repair and aging. There are also concerns regarding electrical equipment underground and safety of employees working in the confined space of the vaults.

The town has in previous years expressed some interest in having an additional restroom in Fountain Park, but had never followed through.

However, Sanitary District Manager Dana Trompke approached the town about sharing facilities if it moved its equipment into aboveground buildings. A portion of each structure is to be used for electrical and monitoring equipment for the adjoining underground well, and the rest of each building is being built as a public restroom.

The project includes two facilities adjacent to two of the well sites in the park. The locations are on the north side near Panorama Drive and the amphitheater, and the second is on the east side next to the parking lot and also near Panorama Drive.

The town is not participating in the construction of the facilities, but will take responsibility for maintaining the restrooms once complete.

Hunter Contracting is the contractor and the work is expected to take until the end of the calendar year.