PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix has plans to build three plants where recycled water will be purified to create a sustainable source of drinking water.

The advanced water purification (AWP) facilities will take treated wastewater and send it through additional processes, including reverse osmosis and ultraviolet advanced oxidation, so it can be used over and over again.

“You can’t have economic growth if you don’t have water,” said Nazario Prieto, assistant water services director for the city.

The purification program is called Pure Water Phoenix. Its goal is “to continue to clean and remove viruses, pathogens, chemicals, anything that could be in that wastewater stream to get it to the point where it’s safe to drink,” Prieto said.

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