Sweetwater Wetlands...not so sweet

TUCSON, Ariz. – Driving from Phoenix to Tucson is not the most pleasant or serene drive and the smell of sewage that fills your car once you hit Prince Rd. lets you know you’ve arrived in Tucson.


trust me it stunk!

This past weekend I found where that awful smell originates; the Sweetwater Wetland. Located between the I-10 and the Santa Cruz River just north of Prince Rd, the wetlands actually serve an environmental function. The Roger Road Wastewater Treatment Plant down the street feeds the wetlands its secondary effluent which includes shower and sink water. At first glance you wouldn’t guess that the water in the relaxing ponds is actually effluent, it’s the change in the wind that wafts the awful smell back to your nose that gives it away. Aside form the occasional stinky moments, the facility is actually one of the city’s greenest ventures yet.







The wetlands primary function is to treat the secondary effluent and leftovers from the water treatment plant’s reclaimed water system. You might be wondering why the water treatment plant doesn’t take care of this problem. Well they do but the wetlands can do it in a more eco-friendly, and not to mention, more aesthetically pleasing manner.

The City of Tucson’s explains:

”As a water treatment facility, the wetlands are designed to be one of Tucson's most important facets of the City's Reclaimed Water System. Water treated at the wetlands filters through sediments beneath the recharged basins and replenishes the local aquifer. This reclaimed wastewater is recovered by extraction wells during periods of high water demand and is distributed for reuse throughout the City's golf courses, parks, schools and other large turf irrigations areas. Using this reclaimed water means that we can have a "greener" community without using our drinking water to keep the grass and other plants alive.”

The Wetlands also serve as a nice green retreat from the expansive brown desert landscape that surrounds Tucson. It is like an oasis in the middle of the desert, a stinky oasis…but an oasis. Tucsonans come to the Sweetwater Wetlands to walk along the gravel paths and look for wildlife. Bird watchers can often be found here. Animals use the wetlands as a retreat from the hot and arid desert surroundings.


Check it out: Desert oasis fills a need Sweetwater wetlands Tucson Audubon Society Tucson Water