Engineering Design
Engineering design reviews are performed as part of the approval process for projects that involve the construction
of or modification to water or wastewater treatment facilities, reclaimed water systems or reuse water facilities.
See the Project Approvals page for additional details regarding approval
requirements for these types of projects.
The purpose of an engineering design review is to validate that the design of a project complies with all relevant codes
and appropriate design standards. Water and wastewater treatment facilities and systems, reclaimed water systems
and reuse water facilities are governed by a number of rules and regulations. See the Rules
and Regulations page for a summary of the applicable rules and regulations. The rules and regulations directly
impact the engineering design, operations and maintenance of these facilities and systems.
Additional information and answers to common questions about the engineering design review and approval process may
be found on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Documentation
The minimal engineering design documentation required to review a project is an Engineering Design Report, Engineering
Calculations and Design Data, Design Drawings and Technical Specifications. However, while this documentation may
specify the design in sufficient detail to complete the engineering design review and approval process, additional
documentation may be required to be submitted to complete the project approval process.
The type of additional documentation that may be required depends on the characteristics of a particular project
and may include the following documentation:
- MAG 208 Amendment/Certification Documentation - For new reclaimed water distribution systems, new wastewater treatment facilities or wastewater treatment facilities
where the capacity will be increased beyond previously approved limits.
- Planning Documentation - For example, a master plan or capacity study.
- Regulatory Compliance Documentation
- Equipment Manufacturer's Literature
- Plans – For example:
- Pilot Testing Plan
- Blending Plan
- Start-up, Testing and Validation Plan
- Copies of other Agencies’ Permits – For example:
- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - APP, AZPDES, Reuse Permits
- Arizona Department of Water Resources - USF, WS, GSF, RW Permits
- Maricopa County Air Quality Department - Air Permits
- Copies of Operator’s ADEQ Certificates
- Installation Test Report(s)
- Engineer’s Certificate Of Completion
- Start-up, Testing and Validation Report(s)
- Operations & Maintenance Manual
- Monthly Operations and Maintenance Report(s)
See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Documentation page for additional
information regarding documentation requirements and the submission sequence for project documentation.
Document Sealing
For projects with a construction value greater than $12,500, the following documentation, as a minimum, must be
signed and stamped by a Professional Engineer:
- Engineering Design Report - Cover, Table of Contents or First Page.
- Engineering Calculations and Design Data - As required by the Water and Wastewater Treatment Program or by the
Arizona State Board of Technical Registration's rules and regulations.
- Design Drawings - Each Individual Design Drawing Sheet.
- Technical Specifications - Cover, Table of Contents or First Page.
- Reports and Other Documentation - As required by the Water and Wastewater Treatment Program or by the Arizona
State Board of Technical Registration’s rules and regulations.
- Operations and Maintenance Manual - Cover, Table of Contents or First Page.
- Certificate Of Completion - As required on the certificate form.
If the project is a reuse facility, then the documentation may be stamped by a Professional Landscape Architect
instead of a Professional Engineer. The Professional Engineer or Landscape Architect must be registered in the State
of Arizona. The engineering or architectural firm must be registered with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration.
It is recommended that engineers or architects submitting documentation to the Water and Wastewater Treatment Program
contact the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration
if they have any questions about the rules and regulations related to sealing documentation.
Design Standards
A number of standards and references are used for the review and approval of an engineering design for a project. Some
of the more important standards and references are:
See the Resources page for examples of additional standards and references that may
be used by the Department for the review and approval of an engineering design.
Review Criteria
Project documentation submittals are reviewed using the following criteria:
Design Submittals
- Engineering Design Report - Reviewed to validate the design basis, verify regulatory compliance, assess
system and operational impacts and establish the scope of the project.
- Engineering Calculations and Design Data - Reviewed to verify equipment sizes and process design parameters.
- Design Drawings - Reviewed for issues related to public health or safety, compliance with the rules and
regulations, proper operations and maintenance, code requirements and good engineering practice.
- Technical Specifications - Reviewed in conjunction with the design drawings to verify design adequacy.
- Equipment Manufacturer's Literature - Used as reference information to validate equipment size calculation and performance.
Plan Submittals
- MAG 208 Amendment/Certification Documentation - Reviewed to verify compliance with all MAG planning and certification process requirements.
- Planning Documentation (Master Plan Report, etc.) - Reviewed as required to assure all relevant issues are addressed.
- Regulatory Compliance Documentation - Reviewed as specified by the regulations or as stipulated by a compliance order, settlement agreement or other legal instrument.
- Pilot Testing Plan - Reviewed to assure that the treatment process or equipment is properly tested and validated by the proposed plan.
- Blending Plan - Reviewed to validate the method and the procedures used for blending.
- Start-up Plan - Reviewed to insure that the start-up procedures are comprehensive and that the validation plan will adequately test the performance of the treatment process or system.
Treatment Processes
If prototype or novel equipment or treatment processes are proposed for a project, it is likely that a very thorough design
review will be performed and rigorous start-up and validating testing requirements will be stipulated to obtain the approval.
See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - General Engineering Design page for a
list of treatment processes that have been utilized on previously approved water and wastewater projects.
Tools and Resources
Tools and additional resources for the engineering design of water and wastewater treatment facilities,
reclaimed water facilities and reuse water systems may be found on the Forms/Applications
and the Resources pages.