WHITTIER, CA, Nov. 17, 2015 -- The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County have formalized a partnership agreement with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to develop a regional recycled water program aimed at replenishing Southland groundwater basins that have been stressed by years of drought. The program would provide a significant local water supply to help the region deal with droughts, climate change and seismic risks.
This agreement, which was approved by Metropolitan's Board of Directors on November 10, provides for the development of a 1-million-gallon-per-day (MGD) demonstration plant and establishes terms and conditions for future development of what could become the nation's largest recycled water supply program.
Contingent on the results of a planned feasibility study, Metropolitan would potentially construct an advanced water treatment plant that could produce up to 150 MGD of purified water using secondary-treated effluent from the Sanitation Districts' Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson as the source. The new advanced water treatment plant would be located on Sanitation Districts' property at the Carson site, and the purified water would be distributed to groundwater basins in Los Angeles and Orange Counties through a 30-mile network of new distribution pipelines.
The Sanitation Districts are already among the top producers of beneficially used recycled water in the nation with approximately 90 MGD used at over 770 sites throughout Los Angeles County -- enough water to serve the needs of over 200,000 families. "Our treatment plant in Carson is the largest untapped potential source of recycled water in Los Angeles County," said Grace Hyde, Chief Engineer and General Manager of the Sanitation Districts. "As a result of this new partnership with the Metropolitan Water District, treated wastewater that is currently being discharged to the ocean may finally be put to good use."
About the Sanitation Districts
The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County are a regional agency consisting of 24 independent special districts serving over 5.5 million people in 78 cities and unincorporated territory within Los Angeles County. The Sanitation Districts protect public health and the environment through innovative and cost-effective wastewater and solid waste management and, in doing so, convert waste into resources such as recycled water, energy and recycled materials. For more information on the Sanitation Districts, please visit www.lacsd.org.
