As record heat melts snow in the Rocky Mountains and threatens Arizona’s water supply, Phoenix is investing in a different kind of solution, turning wastewater into drinking water. City leaders say a major milestone at the Cave Creek Water Reclamation Plant marks a step toward making that future a reality. Crews this week filled a one-million-gallon treatment basin as part of system testing, a sign the project is about 50% complete. … The facility is designed to take wastewater and purify it into a reusable resource, something water leaders say could help offset expected cuts to the Colorado River.

Other water recycling news:

• Barriozona (Phoenix, Ariz.): Phoenix turns to wastewater for drinking water amid drought and growth pressures