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Water-Short Cities in the West Want to Use Every Last Drop, Even When it Comes from Sewage

/in , , /by /KUNCby Alex Hager

It looks like a normal glass of water. It’s clear, cold and tasteless. But just a few hours ago, it was raw sewage.

That water is the end product of a process and technology known as water recycling, or direct potable reuse.

In the Western U.S., there’s more demand for water than there is supply, particularly in the Colorado River basin. While the region’s policy makers are mired in standoff about how to fix that imbalance at a broad level, cities with finite water supplies are finding creative new ways to stretch out the water they already have. In some places, that means cleaning up sewage and putting it right back in the pipes that flow to homes and businesses.

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California Takes Big Step to Boost Use of Purified Sewage Water to Combat Drought

/in , , /by /LAistby Erin Stone

California has taken a big step towards boosting how much sewage water local governments can purify and reuse for drinking — a process known as water recycling. On Tuesday, the state proposed draft regulations to expand recycling by introducing new purification standards and processes.

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Beyond the Yuck Factor: Cities Turn to ‘Extreme’ Water Recycling

/in , , /by /Yale 360by Jim Robbins

In downtown San Francisco, in a cavernous garage that was once a Honda dealership, a gleaming white-and-blue appliance about the size of a commercial refrigerator is being prepared for transport to a hotel in Los Angeles.

There, this unit, called a OneWater System, will be installed in the basement, where its collection of pipes will take in much of the hotel’s graywater — from sinks, showers, and laundry. The system will clean the water with membrane filtration, ultraviolet light, and chlorine, and then send it back upstairs to be used again for nonpotable uses.

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A Stormwater Capture and Recycling Project Takes Shape at Lake El Estero in Monterey

/in , , /by /Monterey County Weeklyby Pam Marino

As winter rains caused Monterey County’s rivers to swell past capacity and rush out to the sea, people began asking: Isn’t there a way to catch and reuse all that water? That’s what Monterey is preparing to do through a project financed by the state – in this case turning runoff lost to Monterey Bay into drinking water.

The Lake El Estero Diversion to Sanitary Sewer Project will reroute drainage from the city stormwater system at the lake into existing sanitary sewage pipes along Del Monte Avenue, which lead to Monterey One Water’s regional treatment plant in Marina for recycling into drinking water as part of the Pure Water Monterey project.

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Every Day is Earth Day for Water Agencies in San Diego County

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme for Earth Day 2023. Investing in sustainable, local water supply sources and conservation has long been a way of life in San Diego County by water agencies and residents.

“Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community,” said Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about on this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at our homes are our landscapes – perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.”

Sustainability is a priority of the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. Creating and maintaining a safe, reliable, sustainable water supply for the region ensures the vitality of San Diego County’s $268 billion economy for its 3.3 million residents.

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Earth Day-Earth Day 2023-Landscape Makeover-Water Conservation

Every Day is Earth Day for Water Agencies in San Diego County

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“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme for Earth Day 2023. Investing in sustainable, local water supply sources and conservation has long been a way of life in San Diego County by water agencies and residents.

“Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community,” said San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about on this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at our homes are our landscapes – perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.”

Sustainability is a priority of the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. Maintaining a sustainable water supply ensures the vitality of San Diego County’s $268 billion economy and a safe, reliable supply for the region’s 3.3 million residents.

Earth Day and WaterSmart San Diego

Along with federal, state and local government support, including grant funds, the Water Authority and its 24-member agencies have developed diversified, sustainable, local water supply sources. The agencies also collaborate to secure funding for programs that help  residents and businesses use water efficiently and smartly.

Using water efficiently has long been a way of life in the region. Conserving more of our most precious resource is a responsibility that comes with living in San Diego’s Mediterranean climate. Over the past decade, residents and businesses across the county have adopted “WaterSmart” plants, irrigation technologies and habits that not only save money, but also create vibrant yards, reduce energy use, protect natural resources and reduce landscape maintenance.

Invest in the Planet by Living WaterSmart

The Water Authority partners with other agencies and organizations to offer a variety of WaterSmart tools, including classes and rebates, along with a water-use calculator and other resources.

Increasing local supply sources also benefits the greater Southwest U.S. by reducing demand on imported sources. A hotter, drier climate in the arid west requires climate adapation solutions and region-wide collaboration to ensure water supply reliability.

Sustainable water projects

The Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have long-embraced sustainable practices to conserve water and energy. All water agencies work together on forward-thinking projects to expand local supply sources. By investing locally in water recycling, desalination and potable reuse projects, the agencies reduce the need for imported water, freeing those supplies for other parts of California and the Southwest U.S.

Olivenhain Recycled Water Pipeline

A new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas is helping to reduce the region’s dependence on imported water supply.

East County AWP

Scheduled to be complete in 2026, the East County Advanced Water Purification Program will generate up to 11.5 million gallons per day of purified water— meeting approximately 30% of current drinking water demands for East San Diego County residents and businesses. “In 2045, potable reuse projects are going to provide up to 20% of the water that we need here in San Diego County,” said San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl at the June 2022 groundbreaking. “This region has been excellent in its innovation and planning for water needs for the region.”

East County Advanced Water Purification Plant Groundbreaking

“In this year when many areas of California and the West are facing extreme hardships with drought, the East County AWP is really another step forward in reliability for its water supply partners and the region,” said Sandra L. Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority, at the June 1 groundbreaking ceremony for the recycled water project. Photo: East County Advanced Water Purification Program

Pure Water Oceanside

The $70 million Pure Water Oceanside project uses advanced technology, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to provide 3 million gallons per day or more than 20% of the City of Oceanside’s drinking water supply. The source of the recycled water to create the purified water is from the city’s own San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility.

Pure Water Oceanside-Recycling-Potable Reuse-Water Supply

The $70 million project uses advanced technology, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to provide 3 million gallons per day or more than 20% of the City of Oceanside’s drinking water supply. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Pure Water San Diego

Pure Water San Diego is the City of San Diego’s largest-ever infrastructure program that will provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply by 2035. Pure Water will use purification technology to clean recycled wastewater and is a cost-effective investment for San Diego’s water supply needs.

Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant has served more than 100 billion gallons of high-quality, locally controlled water over the past seven years – a milestone passed in late October 2022. The plant produces an average of more than 50 million gallons of high-quality water every day. It’s a foundational water supply for the San Diego region that minimizes vulnerability to drought and other water supply emergencies.

100 Billion Gallons-Carlsbad Desalination Plant-Water Supply

The Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant in the nation, and it has provided a sustainable water supply to residents and businesses in San Diego County since December 2015. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Cutting-Edge Renewable Energy Projects

Renewable energy from natural resources such as sunlight, wind and water is quickly becoming a critical component of California’s power supply. As a water supplier, the Water Authority pursues a variety of hydroelectric and solar energy projects to help reduce energy costs and stabilize water rates.

A power purchase agreement with CleanCapital enabled the Water Authority to install solar power systems at no cost. The solar power systems installed at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, Escondido Operations Center and Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant produce an estimated 2.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year. The 20-year agreement with CleanCapital will save the Water Authority approximately $3 million over the lifetime of the agreement, and supports the agency’s commitment to sustainability. 

Earth Day-Earth Day 2023-Sustainability-Local Water Supply

The solar power systems installed at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, Escondido Operations Center and Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant produce an estimated 2.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Earth Week and Earth Day Events

Scheduled events are hosted by several City of San Diego departments, including Library, Sustainability and Mobility,
Transportation, Environmental Services and Parks and Recreation, and are all free to attend.
• Arbor Day Celebration Event – Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join the City of San Diego at the 2023 Arbor Day Event in Mission Bay’s Vacation Isle, on Hibiscus Lane, as volunteers and City leaders plant trees and beautify the park, reminding us of the benefits of trees and our urban canopy.
• Creek to Bay Cleanup – Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Join Think Blue San Diego and partner I Love a Clean San Diego for the largest cleanup in San Diego County. Choose from 4,000 cleanup sites to volunteer and beautify our local environment.
• Earth Day Celebration at South Clairemont Recreation Center – Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m. – Noon. Join the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department at the South Clairmont Recreation Center, 3605 Clairemont Drive. The free event will include seed planting, a park cleanup, simple crafts and a self-guided scavenger hunt. There will be informational booths throughout the park as well. All ages are welcome.

Along with April’s celebratory events, the City of San Diego’s Climate Action and Climate Resilient SD plans, and other initiatives under the “Our Climate, Our Future” umbrella, demonstrate the City’s commitment to climate action and protecting the environment. These evolving programs will help the City achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 while benefitting residents through new economic opportunities, improving natural and urban spaces, and protecting vulnerable communities from climate threats like extreme heat, wildfires and sea level rise.

Ramona Municipal Water District Saturday, April 22. The Ramona Municipal Water District will have a booth at Sustainable Ramona‘s 2nd annual Ramona Earth Day Festival, Noon- 5 p.m. at the Ramona Community Garden, San Vicente Rd. and 11th Street, Ramona. Staff will have water conservation giveaways, answer questions about water and conservation, and also participate in the festival “Treasure Hunt” for children.

City of Escondido Saturday, April 22 9 a.m. – Noon. Escondido will be hosting two clean-up location sites in partnership with I Love a Clean San Diego at Dixon Lake and Reidy Creek. A 3D poster using recycled material and created by students in Escondido is displayed at the Escondido Arts Partnership Gallery on Grand Avenue in April.

The Water Conservation Garden and San Diego Tree Week

San Diego Tree Week, April 22-29, an initiative of The Water Conservation Garden, is intended to bring neighbors together to plant trees in their community. Businesses, schools, and individuals will come together to celebrate the many benefits of trees. Details: thegarden.org/sd-treeweek/.

(Editor’s Note: The City of San Diego, City of Escondido, City of Oceanside, Helix Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Ramona Municipal Water District, Vallecitos Water District, and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, are eight of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego region.)

Water Recycling Pipeline-Olivenhain MWD-April 2023

OMWD’s Recycled Water Pipeline Reduces Imported Water

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A new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas is helping to reduce the region’s dependence on imported water supply. The Olivenhain Municipal Water District, or OMWD, constructed the Manchester Avenue Recycled Water Pipeline Project to expand the availability of recycled water within the City of Encinitas.

Local, regional, state and federal officials celebrated the project‘s completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday at MiraCosta College. The officials highlighted the various funding sources for the new pipeline while also pointing out the various infrastructure projects online and under development to increase local water supply sources in San Diego County.

Sustainable local water supply

“Every drop of recycled water used on our landscapes replaces a drop of imported drinking water,” said OMWD Board President Christy Guerin. “With the ongoing challenges we’re facing on the Colorado River, expanding our recycled water distribution system to convert more customer irrigation systems to sustainable, local supplies is of paramount importance.”

Congressman Mike Levin attended the celebration along with representatives from Senator Catherine Blakespear’s office and Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath’s, as did local agency partners San Diego County Water Authority, San Elijo Joint Powers Authority, and the City of Encinitas.

“Creating a water system that is not dependent on imported supplies is vital for the long-term sustainability of the region,” said Congressman Levin. “Every project that expands the use of recycled water lessens our dependance on imported supplies and improves our resiliency to future droughts. The collaborative approach taken by neighboring agencies to complete this project is an exemplary way to strengthen the region’s infrastructure.”

Recycled Water Pipeline-OMWD-Mike Levin

“Every project that expands the use of recycled water lessens our dependance on imported supplies and improves our resiliency to future droughts,” said San Diego Congressman Mike Levin. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

“The completion of this project represents a necessary effort by numerous agencies to lessen the region’s dependence on imported water,” said Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath. “The climate crisis is creating unpredictable weather patterns and we must invest in projects that will improve the region’s long-term resiliency to drought.”

Senator Catherine Blakespear said recycled water projects are becoming a critical tool in the fight against drought. “This project is a great example of how water agencies can work together to lessen our dependance on imported water supplies and create a more sustainable water supply portfolio,” said Blakespear.

Water conservation ‘A way of Life’

Water conservation is a way of life for all Californians, and San Diego residents have embraced water-efficiency. Over the past decade, residents and businesses across the county have adopted “WaterSmart” plants, irrigation technologies and habits that not only save money, but also create vibrant yards, reduce energy use, protect natural resources and reduce landscape maintenance.

The San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies collaborate with organizations and other agencies to offer a variety of WaterSmart tools, including classes and rebates, along with a water-use calculator and other resources.

Collaboration to expand local drought-proof supply

The new pipeline is an element of the larger North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project, a collaborative effort among nine North County agencies that coordinate across jurisdictional boundaries. The recycled water being delivered through the new pipeline is produced at San Elijo Joint Powers Authority’s water reclamation facility in Cardiff.

“This project further expands the reach of our local recycled water system and makes drought-proof water for irrigation available for Encinitas’ schools, churches, and greenbelts,” said Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz, “and it’s a great example of local agencies working together to develop cost-effective solutions for our residents.”

Reducing demand for imported drinking water

Expanding the use of recycled water for irrigation, as a renewable and locally produced water source, is an important strategy to reduce overall dependence on imported potable water.

OMWD has successfully converted Westmont of Encinitas to recycled water for landscape irrigation. The assisted living facility is the first of many customers along the Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real corridor to tap into the newly installed recycled water pipeline.

Customers connecting to the new 1.4 mile six-inch diameter pipeline will irrigate with recycled water, reducing the demand for imported drinking water by more than 27 million gallons per year, according to the OMWD.

Additional customers along the corridor are working to convert their irrigation systems to accommodate the new recycled water supply, which will ultimately reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 27 million gallons every year.

Landscape irrigation-recycled water-Olivenhain Municipal Water Distrcit

“Investing in drought-resilient supplies is a top priority and every new recycled water customer we connect to our distribution system decreases demand for imported water,” said OMWD Board Secretary Larry Watt. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Brackish groundwater desalination

OMWD serves up to 15% of its overall demand from recycled water and continues to identify additional ways to make recycled water available to eligible customers. In addition to recycled water efforts, OMWD is working on an additional project to construct a brackish groundwater desalination plant to further diversify supplies and provide ratepayers with a local source of drinking water. These supply projects, combined with conservation efforts, will help to ensure that OMWD customers will have the water they need during future droughts.

New recycled water pipeline taps federal, state funding

The project was funded in part by a $600,000 Proposition 84, Round 4 grant and a $750,000 Proposition 1, Round 1 grant via the California Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Water Management Program. The new recycled water pipeline is also part of a suite of projects receiving $23.9 million in funds from the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.

The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 87,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County.

(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

Los Angeles County Collects 33 Billion Gallons of Rainwater in Recent Storms

/in , , /by /KTLA 5by Travis Schlepp

Good news has surfaced in Los Angeles County’s ongoing battle with water scarcity.

The Los Angeles County Public Works Department announced Monday that more than 33 billion gallons of stormwater have been captured in the early months of the California winter storm season.

It will be used as drinking water and is enough to supply 816,000 people with enough water for an entire year, according to Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

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Court Fight Averted: San Diego Makes a Deal with East County Water Project Over Contested Pump Station

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Blake Nelson

The city of San Diego and East County leaders have resolved a months-long dispute over a planned water recycling project, heading off a potentially expensive court fight over what to do with the plant’s waste.

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Water Recycling Projects Expanding in San Diego County

/in , , /by /Water News Network

A proactive approach to developing diversified water sources, including water recycling projects and conservation efforts, are helping the San Diego region weather the current drought. The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is working on multiple projects to expand the use of recycled water.

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