Solid Waste Site | Cave Creek Landfill

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Solid Waste Site

Maricopa County Cave Creek Landfill

Revised On: Jan. 23rd, 2024 - 02:24 pm

Revised On: Jan. 4, 2024 - 8:35 p.m.

Location: Maricopa County Cave Creek Landfill
(closed municipal solid waste landfill)
3955 E. Carefree Highway, Cave Creek, Arizona 85331

Discovery Date: May 1998

Contaminants of Concern (COCs): Trichloroethene (TCE)

Affected Media

  • Soil
  • Groundwater

What are my health risks?

For Soil | There is little to no health risk unless there is contact with skin or ingestion of contaminated soil.

For Groundwater | If you are connected to a Public Water System (PWS) there is little to no risk of impact from exceedances because the water is filtered through the PWS for residential and business use | View Drinking Water Notices > 

If you have a private well in the vicinity of the exceedance, we encourage you to test the well water.


Not sure what to test for? | Learn More >

Site Summary

Site is a closed municipal solid waste landfill in Maricopa County. Maricopa County is under a consent order with ADEQ. Maricopa County has installed an on-site soil vapor extraction system (SVE) and a Groundwater Treatment System (GWTS) to address TCE concerns that serves as a source of groundwater contamination.

Corrective Actions

  • Maricopa County and ADEQ entered a consent order in 1999 to characterize the nature and extent of the site groundwater contamination
  • Maricopa County developed a revised Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and submitted the final version to ADEQ in May 2016
  • ADEQ approved the RAP in November 2016
  • The City of Phoenix and Maricopa County have approved the Intergovernmental Agreement for the injection well site. The agreement allows Maricopa County to proceed with injection well site development. Maricopa County prepared and distributed a flyer to inform immediate residents about the site activities
  • The SVE system underwent a rebound test in late 2022/early 2023 and is currently operating under an ADEQ approved revised plan.
  • The GWTS began operating in February 2023.
  • The GWTS Expansion of two additional extraction wells is underway and will begin operating in Spring 2024.