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Recycled Water: Conveying the Message to Non-Water Experts. Roy Herndon. Berkeley Colloquium 5-9-06. Tonight’s Topics:. Water supply outlook OCWD’s mission and activities Seawater intrusion control Groundwater Replenishment System. The Acre-Foot. 325,900 gallons 3,790 cu. meters
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Recycled Water:Conveying the Message to Non-Water Experts Roy Herndon Berkeley Colloquium 5-9-06
Tonight’s Topics: • Water supply outlook • OCWD’s mission and activities • Seawater intrusion control • Groundwater Replenishment System
The Acre-Foot • 325,900 gallons • 3,790 cu. meters • Covers a football field by 1 foot • Supplies 2 families for a year
Coastal Southern California imports 50% of its water supply. % water supply vs. usage 3 MAF/yr Imported 21 MAF/yr to Ocean
Future Imported Water Challenged • Northern CA water • Provide water to restore Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta • Colorado River • Concern by other states on California’s use of surplus Colorado River • 2016 surplus water reduced • Los Angeles • Must leave approx. 10% of water in Owens Valley to restore environment
+14 million +900,000 State-wide population growth continues to drive water demands. 14 mil.
Water Industry Is Changing • No massive state and federal water projects on the horizon • Future water will come from: • Local & regional projects • More water efficiency all the time • Ag. water transfers to cities • Storing water in groundwater basins • Expanding existing reservoirs • More purification of sewer & eventually ocean water
From a local agency perspective, population growth and water supply uncertainty drive the need to: • Shore up reliability • Diversify our supplies Water recycling provides “new,” reliable, and drought-proof supply of high-quality water.
Who is Orange Co. Water District? • Manage groundwater basin under North OC • Basin = reliability: just got through 5-year drought • Larger than largest reservoir in Southern California • Replenish aquifers • doubled basin water yield through planning & investment • Committed to protecting & improving water quality
The 350-sq. mi. basin supplies 325,000 af/yr (65% of demand) to 2.3 million people. Recharge Facilities Seawater Intrusion Barriers
Cities and water districts pump GW from 200 wells and pay OCWD a “replenishment assessment.”
Groundwater is about half the cost of imported water. $500 Energy = $60 RA = $205
“This is one of the most complex hydrologic systems I’ve encountered.” – Dr. David Todd, ca. 1999 Potentiometric Surface of Principal Aquifer System November 2005 (feet MSL)
2,000+ feet of unconsolidated sediments comprise the basin aquifers.
0’ 1,000’ 2,000’ NON-WATERBEARING FORMATION 3,000’ 0 miles 5 10 15 20 The Simple Version Drinking Water Wells Huntington Beach Anaheim/Orange Recharge
The groundwater basin is a reservoir to store and withdraw water during surplus and drought. Drought Periods
OCWD groundwater recharge facilities along Santa Ana River in Anaheim.
Seawater Intrusion • Threat to So. Calif. coastal basins since early 1900s • Limits how much we can pump from basin • Requires many injection wells and continuous high-quality water supply • Four seawater barriers in So. Calif., all using recycled water
Doubling injection to >30,000 AF/year is needed to reverse seawater intrusion. 2002 1998 1995 1993 Desired Seawater Holding Point
Injection Well Sea Level Intrusion Barrier Seawater Barrier Protects Basin • For 30 years, OCWD purifying sewer water to drinking water quality & injecting it into barrier • Barrier inadequate, need expansion and increase water injected from 15 to 40 million gallons a day • Need for barrier water -genesis of the Groundwater Replenishment System
What is the Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System? • New water quality & supply project • Uses “ultra-pure” water purification technology • Converts sewer water to somewhere between bottled and distilled water quality • Uses bottled water and food purification technologies • Treats water six times before final natural filtration through ground • Similar projects around the world – Singapore, LA, etc.
We looked at several future water supply options in addition to recycling. Conservation – will do more, but can’t provide enough water Ocean Desalination – $800 to $2,000 AF depending on where it has been done, will be part of future water mix Satellite Reclamation Plants – 3 in OC – costly with special piping $3,000 AF for landscape Buy Imported water – need to augment this supply when and where we can * *MWD is working hard to increase groundwater storage, Ag. transfers, and find other new sources of water
Spreading Basins Anaheim N Seawater Intrusion Barrier Groundwater Basin Boundary Irvine OCSDTreatment Facilities Ocean Outfall The Groundwater Replenishment System will provide a new reliable high-quality local water supply to the basin in 2007. MF RO AO
First Purification Step Microfiltration (MF) • Like a hollow straw with holes in the sides 300 times smaller than human hair • Vary size of holes & used to make computer chip water, baby food, purify medicines, fruit juices, and more • Excellent pre-treatment before reverse osmosis (RO) • 1st used on massive scale on water by Disney in Orlando
Second Purification Step Reverse Osmosis (RO) • Same technology as bottled water firms • OCWD’s has used for many years • Force water, under very high pressure, thru molecular structure of sheet of plastic membrane • Demineralizes and purifies water
Third Purification Step Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection plus H2O2 • Concentrated sunlight & hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) • Creates advanced oxidation reaction, basically destroys anything in the water • Add’l safety barrier • Followed by natural filtration through ground • A multiple barrier, redundant approach • Water is so pure, have to add minerals back to water
Safest Water Available for Recharge • 7+ years testing — no significant contaminants made it through • Outside independent Water Quality Study confirmed safety of water • Quality continually monitored by computers & people • Oversight of health organizations (DHS, Regional Board) • Several health and medical experts support this project
Dr. Christine MoeAdvisor to the CDC, environmental scientist specializing in waterborne viral and bacterial diseases, on staff Emory University Rollins School of Public Health • “The advanced treatment technologies that will be applied to the water should produce safe, high purity output flows…I support the GWR System” • Also Dr. Harvey Collins, ex-Head of California Dept. Health Services, Drinking Water Section supports project
Benefits of GWR System 1. Can be replicated around the world & help with looming global water crisis 2. Helps maintains lifestyle & recreation in arid regions 3. Helps sustain supplies in future droughts 4. Higher quality, softer water -Over time will improve water quality -As good as bottled water into basin 5. Helps do our part for environment, water reuse and reliability in So. Calif. 6. Saves energy - ½ the energy to move water from No. CA - CEC Flex Power Award 7. Provides water diversity, like financial diversity
Project Reduces Water to Ocean • OCSD will need new ocean outfall • By purifying water currently treated to go to ocean, we can save $170 million by not building new outfall • OCSD contributing outfall funding to new water purification plant • Good example of public agency cooperation
Project Funding & Timing • Costs about $487 million • Produces 72,000 AF - enough for 144,000 families each year • Unit cost about same as imported water ($500/AF) • $92 mil in State & Fed Grants • $86 mil in O&M MWD subsidy • On-line 2007 - expandable
Supportive Businesses Chambers of Commerce (representing some 18,000 businesses):
Supportive Elected Officials Cities: Plus 35 Southern California water agencies & associations
Dr. John Balbus, MD, Director, Environmental Health Program, Environmental Defense, and former Director, Center for Risk Sciences & Public Health Dr. Sanford Brown, MPH, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Health Science, California State University Fresno Dr. Christine Moe, PhD, Associate Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Emory University School Public Health, Environmental Epidemiologist Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta, Georgia Dr. David A. Kalman, PhD,. Professor & Chair, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Univ. of Washington Dr. Chris J. Wiant, MPH, PhD., President, Caring for Colorado Foundation Dr. Robert M. Soderstrom, MD, Past Chairman, Environmental Health Committees, Genesee County Medical Society & Michigan State Medical Society Dr. Ralph Morris, MD, MPH, Public Health Preparedness Consultant, Minnesota Department of Health and member of American Board of Preventive Medicine Dr. Kellogg Schwab, PhD, Center for Water and Health at Johns Hopkins University Dr. H. John Blossom, MD, Director, California Area Health Education Center, Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine UCSF, Department of Family and Community Medicine Dr. Joan Rose, PhD, Howlin Chair for Water Research, Michigan State University Dr. Stephen D. Arnold, PhD, Department of Health Science, New Mexico State University Dr. Byron J. Bailey, MD, FACS, Past President, National Assoc. of Physicians for the Environment Dr. Lester Breslow, MD, MPH, Dean & Professor Emeritus, School of Public Health, UCLA National Health & Medical Supporters
GWR System12+ years in the making Mar. 95 Feasibility Study completed Sep. 97 Engineer’s Report completed Mar. 99 EIR certified Aug. 00 Federal EIS recorded Mar. 01 Design authorized Apr. 04 AWPF contract awarded Sep. 07 Project goes on line
Besides the taxpayers, GWRS and other large water projects require a multidisciplinary team. • Engineers • Communications specialists • Hydrogeologists • Environmental specialists • Finance/accounting specialists • Chemists • Attorneys • Operators & technicians • Computer/database specialists • And others
Only source of new water is old water! Questions/Discussion