1 person hospitalized after fire breaks out at West Valley water treatment plant

PHOENIX – One person was hospitalized for burns after a fire broke out at a water treatment plant in the West Valley on Thursday morning, authorities said.

Crews responded to the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant at 91st Avenue and Roeser Road in Tolleson around 9:30 a.m. and found smoke coming from an underground digester tunnel, according to the Phoenix Fire Department.

Firefighters from five cities worked to extinguish the blaze, which did not cause an interruption to water treatment operations, Capt. Todd Keller said in a media advisory.

The plant was evacuated as a precaution, but no residents in the surrounding area were impacted.

A contractor at the facility who sustained minor burns to his hands and face was taken to a hospital for treatment. He is expected to recover.

No firefighters were hurt. The Phoenix Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire.

What happens at the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant?

The 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Southwest.

The city of Phoenix is the majority owner and operates the facility, which can treat up to 230 million gallons of raw sewage from Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale and Phoenix each day.

Half of the recycled water is sent to cool the Palo Verde Generating Station in Tonopah, and the other half goes to the nearby Tres Rios Wetlands before it’s discharged back into the environment.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Heidi Hommel contributed to this report.

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