The Beaumont Cherry Valley Water District and the City of Beaumont in the US state of California awarded four water resources projects to improve groundwater quality and availability to Wildermuth Environmental Inc., a consulting firm based in Lake Forest, California.
The first project includes exploratory drilling and testing of underused groundwater sources in the South Beaumont and San Timoteo Basins. “The Beaumont Basin serves the water needs of between 125,000 and 130,000 people, which makes this an important issue for the communities we serve,” said Chuck Butcher, general manager of the Beaumont Cherry Valley Water District.
The second project includes assessments of groundwater quality effects from on-site waste disposal systems in Cherry Valley. The study will determine if on-site waste disposal systems are contributing to elevated nitrate levels in groundwater, assess the magnitude of future waste loading if Cherry Valley were allowed to increase the number of on-site waste disposal systems from about 2,500 to 8,500, and will determine the attendant nitrate impacts in groundwater.
The third project will develop a salt mitigation fee to be assessed against future development. Because elevated salt levels in the area’s groundwater are expected to occur over time due to increased development and the use of State Project and recycled water, the fee will result in available funding when treatment is required.
The fourth project will include acquiring permits to use recycled water for irrigation, which will improve local water availability by making potable water currently used in golf courses available as quality drinking water.
