Posted On: Apr. 10th, 2025 - 10:59 am
Site to Be Removed from Arizona’s Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF) Registry
PHOENIX (April 10, 2025) – A major environmental cleanup in central Phoenix is complete. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has finished long-term efforts to clean up polluted soil and groundwater near 16th Street and Camelback Road. With no further cleanup needed, the site is being officially removed from Arizona’s Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF) Registry.
The site, known as the 16th Street and Camelback Road WQARF site, was listed on the WQARF Registry on April 21, 1999. It covers an area between 17th and 15th Streets, from Camelback Road south to Highland Avenue. The contamination was caused by tetrachloroethene (PCE), a chemical historically used by dry cleaners that can pose risks to the health of our community and our environment.
“As Co-Chairperson for the 16th Street and Camelback site, I’ve watched the progress unfold over the years, and it’s exciting to see this remediation officially complete,” said Chad L. Johnson, Community Advisory Board member for WQARF sites in the area. “I’m grateful to everyone who contributed to this long-term effort and remained focused on protecting the health and safety of Arizonans.”
From 2016 to 2019, ADEQ conducted enhanced reductive dechlorination (ERD) injections at the site. This treatment uses naturally occurring microbes to break down harmful chemicals in the groundwater. The primary remedial action at the site was monitoring the natural attenuation, or gradual reduction, of contaminants in the groundwater.
“Groundwater is an essential resource in Arizona, and millions of residents rely on it for healthy drinking water,” said ADEQ Waste Programs Division Director Julie Riemenschneider. “Decades of hard work and collaboration with the community have gone into making this site safe, and we are proud to say it no longer poses a risk to the people we serve. This milestone is a direct reflection of our mission to protect and enhance public health and the environment.”
In Arizona, all groundwater aquifers are considered potential sources of drinking water and must be protected as such. Fortunately, the contaminated groundwater associated with this site never reached any public or private drinking water wells.
Since the final ERD injection in 2019, levels of PCE in the groundwater have continued to drop. Sampling data from the site’s monitoring wells show that, since 2022, PCE concentrations have consistently remained below laboratory detection limits or below Arizona’s Aquifer Water Quality Standard.
Background & Resources
WQARF is Arizona’s state-run program for identifying, prioritizing, and cleaning up soil and groundwater contamination. These sites often require long-term solutions to address hazardous material impacts.
Established in 1986, WQARF is similar in purpose to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program. It uses state funding to carry out cleanup efforts and also oversees remediation projects led by private parties.
WQARF 16th Street and Camelback Site
WQARF Program
Contacts
ADEQ Public Information Officer
Ph: 602-540-8072 (cell)
Email >
