OCWD Research Projects Awarded Federal Funding to Advance Water Innovation by Orange County Water District Jan 3, 2023 The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) was awarded funding from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for two research projects to test innovative water treatment technologies. “As a leader in water reuse, groundwater management and water quality, OCWD is committed to support research in these areas to enhance its operations and enable further advancements throughout the entire water industry,” said OCWD President Cathy Green. “Our research and development department is exemplary, and I would like to congratulate them for their ongoing work to evaluate promising new technologies that support our mission to provide a high-quality, reliable water supply to 2.5 million people.” The two research projects support District priorities including the removal of PFAS from groundwater supplies and the enhancement of operations of its Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). The GWRS is the world’s largest water recycling project, producing up to 130 million gallons per day. The first project, “In-Situ Gravity Driven Removal of PFAS During Groundwater Recharge to Protect Drinking Water,” will evaluate the performance of an engineered adsorbent media when installed into the ground for the passive removal of PFAS in impacted surface waters that are used to recharge groundwater supplies. Awarded $199,430 in funding, OCWD is the project lead and will collaborate with technical advisors from Colorado School of Mines and Jacobs. The second project, “Improving RO Recovery through Optimization of Flux and Pump Usage with Real-Time Sensor Connectivity, Data-driven Modeling, and Automation,” is in partnership with Hazen and Sawyer who was awarded $197,294 in funding. OCWD is supporting the research on site as a test bed location. The project aims to develop predictive algorithms with automated process controls that can optimize reverse osmosis (RO) operational settings to reduce energy, maximize production, and minimize chemical costs while reducing membrane fouling and scaling. RO is the heart of the three-step GWRS advanced purification process. The two research projects are among nine proposals chosen by Reclamation to receive funding.
