Chandler
General Information:

The city of Chandler operates ASR wells at following two recharge locations: Ocotillo recharge and recovery facility and the Tumbleweed facility. 

Ocotillo Recharge and Recovery Facility:
  • 4 ASR wells injecting effluent water
  • 11,200 acre-feet per year generated at the Ocotillo Recharge Facility via ASR wells.
Tumbleweed Facility:                                                                 
  • 5 ASR wells used to inject reclaimed water.
  • 17 injection wells
  • 8 vadose zone wells 
  • Chandler constructed ASR wells to supplement 8 vadose zone wells and eliminate problems with pore clogging due to fungal growth. 
  • Annual storage volume equals ~ 5,600 acre-feet. 
  • Permitted recharge capacity of up to 10 million gallons per day.

Recharge aquifer lithology: unconsolidated sand, gravel, and clay lenses. 

ASR well issues: exceptional well clogging. To diminish this problem, backflushing occurs daily.

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Additional Information

Arizona Department of Water Resources Water Management Division. 2008. Annual Status Report: Underground Water Storage, Savings and Replenishment (Recharge) Program. 45 p.

Clinton, T., 2007. Reclaimed Water Aquifer Storage and Recovery: Potential Changes in Water Quality. Water Reuse Foundation. 146 p.

Hanson, D., 2009. Groundwater Recharge and its Impacts on Non-Point Source Nitrate Contamination. Arizona Water Association. 26

(3): 4-5, 43.



The American Society of Civil Engineers published the following paper: 
"Water Management through Recharge and Aquifer Storage and Recovery Wells"

Integrated Surface and Ground Water Management, Proceedings of the Specialty Symposium

Robert Upham, P.E.1, Robert Mulvey2, Andrew Marsh, P.E.3, and Richard Johnson, P.E.4

1City of Chandler, Mail Stop 405, P.O. Box 4008, Chandler, Arizona
2City of Chandler
3Carollo Engineers, P.C., 3033 N. 44th Street, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona
4Carollo Engineers, P.C. in association with Brown and Caldwell

Abstract: To understand why the City of Chandler has developed the Tumbleweed Recharge Facility, there must be a need to understand Chandler's history, where it began, and its relationship to the community, the industries, and its citizens. Beginning with the definition of our great City, from our economic development division: City with a Vision, it is this vision that laid the foundation to support the use of creative and innovative ideas like the use of aquifer storage and recovery wells. This paper will present a brief background and history of the City of Chandler and its experience with growth and its wastewater treatment capacity. The ability to expand the wastewater treatment capacity to meet the growth needs of the City is currently limited by the ability to reuse or recharge the effluent. The main focus of this paper is the use, design, and operation of recharge wells at the Tumbleweed Facility to handle the effluent recharge. The next generation and expansion of the Tumbleweed Recharge Facility includes the newer design of aquifer storage and recovery wells, which is also presented as a part of the latest and most innovative plan for managing effluent.