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Inside Pima County with Rex Scott · July 3 · 27 min

Pima County Wastewater

Pima County’s wastewater system is one of those essential public services most people rarely think about—until something goes wrong. Yet behind the scenes, an enormous amount of engineering, planning, and innovation keeps our community healthy, our environment protected, and our future water supply secure. In this episode of Inside Pima County, Supervisor Rex Scott sits down with Jackson Jenkins, Director of Pima County’s Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department, to explore the complex world of wastewater treatment, infrastructure, and sustainability. Jenkins, a Tucson native and University of Arizona–trained metallurgical engineer, didn’t begin his career in public service. He spent more than two decades in the copper mining industry, working with hydrometallurgical processes that mirror many of the biological and chemical systems used in wastewater treatment. That technical foundation eventually led him to Pima County in 2004, where he began as deputy director of treatment operations before becoming department director in 2010. Pima County is unique in that it is the only county that operates its own wastewater utility. With 400 employees, seven treatment facilities, more than 3,500 miles of sewer pipeline, and dozens of pump stations, the department manages a vast and constantly evolving system. Jenkins walks listeners through the locations of major facilities and explains how future growth is driving plans for a new regional plant in Sahuarita, targeted for startup in 2031. The conversation also demystifies how sewage becomes a resource. Wastewater is screened, biologically treated, disinfected, and transformed into high‑quality reclaimed water used for irrigation, riparian restoration, and recharge. Solids are converted into safe agricultural fertilizer, and biogas generated during digestion is refined into renewable methane—bringing in nearly $5 million annually. Beyond treatment, the department maintains thousands of miles of pipe using rodding equipment, CCTV inspections, and cured‑in‑place pipe technology. It also provides community‑focused programs, including odor and roach control, low‑income sewer subsidies, and assistance for homeowners when sewer lines fail in the public right‑of‑way. Jenkins closes by discussing new research on PFAS removal, the department’s adoption of artificial intelligence to optimize operations, and leaves listeners with a practical tip.

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Pima County’s wastewater system is one of those essential public services most people rarely think about—until something goes wrong. Yet behind the scenes, an enormous amount of engineering, planning, and innovation keeps our community healthy, our environment protected, and our future water supply secure. In this episode of Inside Pima County, Supervisor Rex Scott sits down with Jackson Jenkins, Director of Pima County’s Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department, to explore the complex world of wastewater treatment, infrastructure, and sustainability.

Jenkins, a Tucson native and University of Arizona–trained metallurgical engineer, didn’t begin his career in public service. He spent more than two decades in the copper mining industry, working with hydrometallurgical processes that mirror many of the biological and chemical systems used in wastewater treatment. That technical foundation eventually led him to Pima County in 2004, where he began as deputy director of treatment operations before becoming department director in 2010.

Pima County is unique in that it is the only county that operates its own wastewater utility. With 400 employees, seven treatment facilities, more than 3,500 miles of sewer pipeline, and dozens of pump stations, the department manages a vast and constantly evolving system. Jenkins walks listeners through the locations of major facilities and explains how future growth is driving plans for a new regional plant in Sahuarita, targeted for startup in 2031.

The conversation also demystifies how sewage becomes a resource. Wastewater is screened, biologically treated, disinfected, and transformed into high‑quality reclaimed water used for irrigation, riparian restoration, and recharge. Solids are converted into safe agricultural fertilizer, and biogas generated during digestion is refined into renewable methane—bringing in nearly $5 million annually.

Beyond treatment, the department maintains thousands of miles of pipe using rodding equipment, CCTV inspections, and cured‑in‑place pipe technology. It also provides community‑focused programs, including odor and roach control, low‑income sewer subsidies, and assistance for homeowners when sewer lines fail in the public right‑of‑way.

Jenkins closes by discussing new research on PFAS removal, the department’s adoption of artificial intelligence to optimize operations, and leaves listeners with a practical tip.

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