Wenden, Ariz. — While hurricane Katrina showcased the incredible damage uncontrolled water can unleash on even the most formidable manmade barriers, it also served to underscore the critical need for a constant clean and controlled water supply.
That need was already well known to the operators of the Wenden Domestic Water Improvement District (WDWID) who have been struggling to upgrade their tiny system, which supplies water to the 556 residents of this Western desert community.
Things are beginning to flow in the right direction, however, thanks to a recent $377,000 Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) loan that will provide bridge-funding for various evaluations needed before the group is eligible to receive a promised $1.5 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development support.
Wenden’s water supply comes from two wells that are in dire need of upgrades to improve the quality of pumped groundwater. The system also needs additional storage capacity and modifications to its electrical and alarm systems.
The changes should allow WDWID to comply with new federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards regulating arsenic levels that take effect in January 2006. In the past, WDWID has also been cited by The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for exceeding maximum allowable levels of fluoride in its water system. The upgrades should allow WDWID to meet safe fluoride levels.
“At RCAC we work with scores of small water systems throughout the West,” said Mike Flanagan, director of RCAC’s Loan Fund. “We understand the difficulties in running a small system and we’re very happy to make loans that help organizations like the one in Wenden.”
Today overseen by General Manager George Saiter, Office Manager Adriana Mercado, Plant Manager Jose Cruz and a new and diverse board of directors headed by Irene Luz, officials at WDWID have worked hard to overcome an employee embezzling scandal that rocked the small system in 2004.
Now financially sound and determined to meet the needs of the community, the WDWID board of directors and staff are eager to make necessary upgrades to insure a safe and clean water supply.
“Successful completion of this project will mean that Wenden children will no longer grow up with black teeth and the older residents will no longer experience the debilitating joint and health conditions related with consumption of high levels of fluoride,” Saiter explained. “WDWID would have been unable to finance the evaluation work necessary to obtain the USDA RD funds without help from RCAC. They have provided guidance, technical advice and bridge funding for the project. This has been a difficult job, but the prospect of improving the quality of life for Wenden residents is its own reward.”
Headquartered in West Sacramento, California, and serving 13 Western states, RCAC is a nonprofit agency providing technical assistance, training and financing to rural communities seeking to develop a wide range of local services including, community facilities, affordable housing and water treatment facilities. In 1996, RCAC was designated a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) by the United States Treasury. RCAC maintains five field offices in Arizona.