Water Luke uses, reuses

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Colbert
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Water. Living in the desert, there is no doubt this is a scarce but vital resource. No one knows this better than the Airmen at the water processing plants at Luke Air Force Base.

The 56th Civil Engineer Squadron water purification section provides all the water used on Luke - from the drinking water to the water used to keep the golf course green.

Drinking water is produced by pulling water from wells around the base. The water is then chlorinated and filtered for arsenic. All of the water is processed at the wells before being piped to storage tanks.

"We pump, on average, 500 million gallons of water per year," said Senior Airman Keith Williamson, 56th CES water treatment plant technician. "We supply all of the potable (drinkable) water on base. Our job is to support the flying mission by supplying this water."

Not just the drinking water, but the water that the fire department uses comes from this section. Water is such a necessity in the desert that not one drop is wasted. When the water has been used, it goes to the waste water treatment plant.

"We treat all of the waste water from the base," said Staff Sgt. Allan Dela Cruz, 56th CES waste water plant lab director. "We help with the safety and well being of Luke members by processing this water."

The water processing plant keeps Luke Air Force Base running. "The two things that a base needs are a flightline and water," Williamson said. "No one thinks about it until there is no water."