The Purple Packet Process

On this page you will find steps to apply for the use of recycled water in the city of Surprise.

Should you have any questions after reviewing the Purple Packet Process, please contact the Surprise Environmental Division (contacts at the bottom of the page).

  1. Complete and sign* the City of Surprise Non-Potable Water Use Application and Non-Potable Water Use Agreementforms below.
    • Submit the forms to the city's Water Resource Management Department (WRM) Environmental Division.

      *NOTE: The signatory for a corporation is the responsible corporate officer; it must be the principal executive officer or legal representative for on-going operations.
  2. Apply for your Type 2 Recycled Water General Permitwith the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
    • Go to the ADEQ webpage and complete the Type 2 Recycled Water General Permit Notice of Intent.
    • Submit the Notice of Intent (NOI) to the ADEQ as specified on the NOI.
    • Provide a copy of the NOI as submitted to ADEQ to the City.
    • When you receive your Type 2 Recycled Water General Permit from ADEQ provide a copy to the City's WRM Environmental Division. Once you receive this permit, your site is permitted by the State to use reclaimed water (this does not supersede County or City requirements, it just "permits" the site to use recycled reclaimed water).
  3. Apply for Approval to Construct from Maricopa County Environmental Service. (This process is the regulatory required engineering review of the recycled reclaimed water. This is required for any extension of the reclaimed system, on-site irrigation systems, and connections to the city system (including meters). This is the process you must follow with the Maricopa County Department of Environmental Services.)
    • Go to the Maricopa County Environmental Service Forms Webpage
    • Scroll down to "Review & Approval Process Flow Diagrams" and follow the one titled Flow Diagram for a Typical Reuse Facility Project.
      • Once you are issued the Approval to Construct, provide a copy to the City's WRM Environmental Division.
    • As part of the County's process, a Cross-Connection Testing Planfor your project will be required. This plan must be submitted to the City's WRM Environmental Division for review, comment, and approval.
      • Coordination with the City is required to perform the cross-connection test.
    • Once your project is constructed and a cross-connection test has been approved by the City, the project design engineer will complete the Engineer's Certificate of Completion (ECOC) to be submitted to the County.
    • Complete the Maricopa County Approval of Construction (AOC) application and submit it to the County with the ECOC and the written Cross-connection approval from the City.
  4. Once you have submitted all City required forms and have received an AOC for your system from the County, your site is approved to use recycled reclaimed water.

Note: Some projects may already have a user agreement and permit for an entire development but may require several ATC/AOC's as individual irrigation sites or expansion of the existing irrigation system(s) as the development builds-out. Those projects require completion of the MCESD process for each on-site irrigation system, the submission a new water use application, a meter request, and cross-connection plan to the City, and written notification of system expansion to ADEQ. Contact the City's Water Resource Management Department Environmental Division for assistance.

Required Forms

City of Surprise Forms:

Arizona of Department of Environmental Quality Forms:

  • Type 2 Recycled Water General Permit Notice of Intent (NOI)

Maricopa County Environmental Services Department Forms 

  • Approval to Construct
  • Approval of Construction
  • Engineering Certificate of Completion

Purple Packet/Recycled Water Use Operational Documents/Links

  • MCESD Spill Notification Report and Spill Reporting Decision Tree (link above)
  • MCESD Transfer of Ownership Packet (link above)
  • The City will provide a WateReuse Association Site Supervisor Training Manual.

Water Resource Management Department Environmental Division Contacts:

Christine Nuñez, Environmental Manager 623-222-7035
Randy De La Garza, Pollution Control Specialist, 623-222-7143 (Cross-Connection)