By Angela Askey, Executive Director Public Relations and Marketing
Pinal County, AZ – Central Arizona College has recently been awarded two water conservation grants from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona. The first grant of $183,286 is for the purchase and installation of HydroFLOW devices, and the second grant totaling $141,124 will assist the college in placing artificial turf on the softball field.
CAC will purchase five HydroFLOW devices to be installed on the cooling towers that are a part of the centralized air conditioning systems at each of the college’s campuses. These water treatment mechanisms are designed to reduce water usage by decreasing limescale and biofilm buildup inside the chillers, health exchanges, pipes, and cooling towers. Through a sine wave signal, the equipment helps to stop scale forming in the circulating water column of the cooling towers meaning the system no longer must be flushed out frequently to remove scale. It is anticipated that this infrastructure efficiency upgrade will save approximately 10 million gallons of water annually. Additional chemical and energy savings will be realized with coolers running more efficiently. CAC’s match for the project is $47.041.50.
The second water conservation grant will enable CAC Facilities to replace the natural turf at the Signal Peak Campus softball field with artificial turf. One significant advantage of artificial turf is its minimal water requirements compared to natural grass, making it an effective water conservation solution, especially in drought-prone areas. The softball field is 27,000 square feet and is used by CAC’s women’s softball team for practices and games. By installing turf, it is estimated annual savings will be 4.59 acre-feet or 1.5 million gallons of water on an annual basis. CAC will contribute a match of $45.821.68 to complete the project.
Each of these grants allows CAC to reduce water consumption and proceed with water conservation activities as outlined in the college’s sustainability plan.
About CAC
For more than 50 years, Central Arizona College has been serving and educating the diverse communities of Pinal County. With five campuses located strategically throughout the county, CAC provides accessible, educational, economic, cultural, and personal growth opportunities for those of all ages.
CAC is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity and anti‐discrimination. CAC strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of the following protected classes and/or characteristics, in all of its operations, programs and activities, including but not limited to employment, promotion, admissions and access to all career and technical programs: race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including sex assigned at birth, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. For more information contact: Laura Shepherd, Title IX Coordinator at 480‐677‐7853 or titleix@centralaz.edu; Section 504/ADA Coordinator at 520‐494‐5409 or studentaccessibility@centralaz.edu or Talent Development at Talent.Development@centralaz.edu
