A recent spill of raw sewage into Queen Creek Wash is proving to be a complicated mess: About a month and a half has passed since an estimated 10,000 gallons of sewage spewed out of a manhole and flowed into the wash. And there's still no clear path to cleaning it up.

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Tests haven't conclusively shown that the water in the wash near the Pecan Creek subdivision in Pinal County is safe from dangerous E. coli after the May 17 spill, and people now stay out of an area that used to draw ATV riders and children on bikes.

Ongoing discussions between Johnson Utilities and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality about the spill have produced little in plans to clean up the wash - a six-acre pool of water that's 3 to 5 feet deep across its length.

Proposals that have been discussed include chlorinating the water, pumping it out of the pool and into another part of the wash where it could be diluted with fresh water, and constructing an underground leach field that would allow the water to filter cleanly into the groundwater hundreds of feet below.

But what is most likely to happen in the near term is nothing.

The natural degradation of the E. coli and fecal coliform, a measurement of the bacteria in the water, could bring the water below the level that the state considers safe for "partial body contact" of E. coli bacterium, some strains of which are linked to gastrointestinal problems, urinary tract infections and pneumonia.

"Our hope all along is that it has been sitting there and through the normal course of events ... it would dissipate," said Mark Shaffer, a spokesman for DEQ.

However, that has not happened, and no one is exactly sure why.

UNCLEAR RESULTS

Both DEQ and Johnson Utilities say they have had samples tested that show pollution levels in the pool are lower than the state's requirements for Johnson Utilities to bring the wash back into compliance.

The state's violation notice to Johnson Utilities, operated by millionaire developer George Johnson, orders that the pool has to test clean two days in a row.

Despite the sporadic readings that show the wash may be marginally clean, there's nothing to indicate that Johnson Utilities has met the state's requirement.

DEQ test results on June 16 show 300 units of E. coli bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, below the Arizona standard for partial body contact. Tests directed by Johnson Utilities eight days later show 866 units of E. coli, which is above the level.

Both DEQ and Johnson Utilities note that the pool in the wash is a low spot that catches irrigation runoff, pet waste, fertilizer and other wastes.

But the bottom line is that Johnson Utilities is still out of compliance. And the wash is still considered unsafe for people to be around.

"We do continue to test the water, and we have not received anything from ADEQ that says we have achieved compliance on that," said Jeff Crockett, an attorney for the utility.

Had Johnson Utilities had its way, the pool of water would have been pumped into other parts of the wash.

Before it received the violation notice from DEQ on June 5, Johnson Utilities tested the water at several points in the pool, and reported the results showed the water was within safe levels, according to Crockett. DEQ disagreed. The polluted water couldn't be pumped out to other areas of the wash either way, Shaffer said.

"You would be introducing pollution to a wider area," he said. "They know that's not something that can be done."

NO EASY ANSWERS

Johnson Utilities representatives have broached other proposals to clean up the wash - while trying to put themselves at arm's length from complete responsibility for its condition.

One option discussed with DEQ officials in the field is chlorinating the water like a swimming pool.

However, DEQ officials say that the chlorination could have a toxic effect on fish, ducks and other aquatic life that might live in the wash.

Chlorination on such a wide scale could also create a pollution problem in the groundwater - as the treated water in the wash naturally drains down to an aquifer under the area.

Crockett said Johnson Utilities was told by DEQ officials that they could not chlorinate the water - and it hasn't pursued the necessary permit to do so.

"We have offered up solutions to ADEQ, but thus far they haven't blessed any of the proposals that we have put on the table," he said.

Johnson Utilities has told state regulators that if the nearby Pecan Creek subdivision had been built to specifications by the developer, there would be no standing water in the wash to be polluted. Also, Pinal County regulations require that storm water seep into the ground within 36 hours, according to Johnson Utilities.

However, an Arizona Corporation Commission ruling this week said Johnson Utilities must be in compliance with DEQ to expand the utility to serve several planned subdivisions near Florence. That requirement ties Johnson Utilities' ambitions to the condition of the wash.

The utility company started construction a couple of weeks ago on an underground leach field that would allow the Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant to send more of its treated sewage to recharge groundwater in the area.

Currently the company uses the effluent to water golf courses and irrigate common areas. The rest is stored. An underground leach field in an area near the polluted wash could serve the utility as a whole, and could also be used to drain the tainted water in Queen Creek Wash, once its pollution levels come down.

CONFUSION

Some residents say they've been left to question their private sewer provider, which serves 20,000 customers.

Johnson's company has been cited by regulators six times dating back to 2003 for problems with handling wastewater. This year it was cited for an earlier spill of 5,000 gallons of raw sewage into Queen Creek Wash on Dec. 27, according to DEQ records.

Susan Robinson, 71, lives in Circle Cross Ranch and receives water and sewer service from Johnson Utilities. She said that she has been put on guard by the most recent spill.

"For me, quality of living is extremely important," she said. "When I hear that there is fecal matter and E. coli and I am aware of his past practices, it causes me to question things."

Johnson Utilities recently filed a defamation suit against two women in the area that it says is making false claims about the company and the quality of its drinking water.

Other residents are looking for answers from state regulators.

Norm Cooper, 39, lives with his family in the Pecan Creek subdivision. He attended a recent informational meeting held by the utility that he said was pretty helpful. But some questions remain unanswered, such as the implications of an overflow in the wash, he said.

"What's going to happen when the rain starts?" he asked. "We don't know. We're waiting for DEQ."