Global Water is the main water utility in Maricopa.

 

A local water utility is on track for a planned expansion after being granted a zoning variance from City Council Tuesday.

The council approved the application for a zoning change that moves the 31.8-acre facility from the old County Industrial (CI-2) zone to the new City of Maricopa General Industrial (GI) zoning C. Global Water Resources filed the application with the city earlier this year as they prepare to expand their facilities to accommodate another possible 11,000 commercial and residential hookups.

GW General Manager Jon Corwin said the expansion is in response to anticipated growth. The northern section of The Lakes where Global Water’s office is located is mostly undeveloped.

The utility is currently operating at 80-90 percent of its capacity, which is set at 9 million gallons per day. After updates, they claim, the treatment facility will be able to process roughly 12 million gallons per day.

The zoning change doesn’t mean the utility will begin altering its facility just yet. The city had advised Global Water at the start of its application process to seek rezoning under the new city code to help mitigate any problems that may arise as part of the permitting process.

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