Phoenix adds water retention basin near South Mountain to prevent future flooding

PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix unveiled a $4.5 million retention basin on Thursday near South Mountain after the area was hit by several floods in recent years.

The basin, located in a neighborhood near 24th Street and Baseline Road, was  a collaboration between the city of Phoenix and the Maricopa County Flood Control District.

Phoenix Vice Mayor Kate Gallego said the basin was built after many of her constituents lost their homes from flooding in 2014.

“One [area resident] had just brought home a new baby – and they’d never had a safe home to live in,” she said. “I heard from residents that every time it rained the children would cry because they were afraid the home would flood again.”

The basin can hold over 20 million gallons of water.

Per Phx vice mayor @KateWGallego: 187 swimming pools' worth of dirt were removed to make this stormwater-retention basin. .@KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/DYRxiEj0Z2

— Kathy Cline (@ClineKathleen) December 8, 2016

It will be covered with plants. Bruce Daniel, a project manager with Ames Construction — the company that built the basin — said the plants serve several purposes.

“The EPA has mandated that you’re going to keep your dust down,” he said. “Aesthestics, I suppose, too. Nobody wants to see a big dirty hole.”

The land around the basin features shade trees and native plants. There’s also a mile-long multi-purpose path for walking or jogging.

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