1,4-Dioxane was used as a stabilizer in industrial solvents in aircraft manufacturing facilities from the 1940s to the 1970s and has been found in groundwater at the Tucson Airport Remediation Project (TARP) well field. Though the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not currently regulate 1,4-dioxane, it does issue health advisories as guidelines for drinking water utilities.

In 2011, the EPA issued a new health advisory for 1,4-dioxane of 0.35 parts per billion, significantly lower than the previous 3.0 parts per billion. To address the new level, Tucson Water began planning and designing a new treatment facility with state-of-the-art technology to effectively remove 1,4-dioxane from water.

Construction of this Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) Water Treatment Facility started in July 2012. It will work in conjunction with the adjacent TARP facility to produce up to 8 million gallons of purified water a day.

Anyone interested in the process of clean up to remove levels of TARP-area contaminants is welcome to attend a Unified Community Advisory Board (UCAB) meeting. The next quarterly UCAB meeting will be Wed., July 17, 2013, at 5:45 p.m. at the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center, 101 W. Irvington Rd. Contact either current co-chair Yolanda Herrera at (520) 991-3307 or Martin Zeleznik at (415) 972-3543 for more information or e-mail acuinteriors@aol.com.

Click here for additional resources, including Monthly Sample Points Map, pamphlet, fact sheet, EPA Superfund Site newsletters, and information in Spanish.