New East Valley Water District Facility ‘Makes Every Source a Resource’

  • by ACWA Staff
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • Newsletters
An aerial view of the SNRC on its 20-acre site.

An aerial view of the SNRC on its 20-acre site.

Now fully operational, East Valley Water District’s (EVWD) Sterling Natural Resource Center generates power, adds a park to its surrounding community, offers high school students a look at careers in water and hosts events ranging from quinceañeras to weddings, birthday parties and celebrations of life.

And it recycles wastewater. 

Recently recognized with ACWA’s 2024 Clair A. Hill Agency Award for Excellence, the Sterling Natural Resource Center functions on so many different levels that its primary purpose counts as just one on a lengthy list of benefits for its San Bernardino County community. But to hear EVWD leaders, that was the point.

“As we started this project, we worked to incorporate multiple community benefits, while making every source a resource in achieving water sustainability,” said EVWD General Manager/CEO Michael Moore. “This project not only creates greater water resiliency for the region, but the community has embraced the facility.”

Today, the Sterling Natural Resource Center, or SNRC, is recycling up to 8 million gallons of wastewater a day as the region’s first indirect potable reuse project. The water replenishes the local groundwater basin that is at historically low levels because of climate change.

How it Works

The SNRC integrates advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technologies, the region’s first application of these two technologies in combination, according to EVWD. MBR combines biological treatment with membrane filtration, with UV disinfection complementing the process. A compact design reduces the wastewater treatment component’s physical footprint by merging treatment steps and omitting large settling tanks. 

The deployment of MBR technology and the strategic combination of subterranean and above-ground equipment facilitates the SNRC’s integration into an urban neighborhood. 

Traditionally, a facility with SNRC’s capacity would need up to 16 acres solely for process equipment. However, the EVWD facility is efficiently contained within a 9-acre site that also includes an advanced noise and odor control system in a contained headworks facility, with its design redirecting noise upwards to further reduce community impact.

From Renewable Waste to Net-Zero Energy

The SNRC incorporates co-digestion of wastewater sludge with regionally sourced food waste, which achieves dual objectives of managing solid waste and enhancing renewable energy production. By diverting high-grade food waste from landfills, the SNRC aids in reducing carbon emissions and minimizing waste, aligning with environmental sustainability goals. The combination of these elements results in the recycling of nearly all influent material, virtually eliminating organic waste from the process, while achieving net-zero energy consumption by converting up to 130,000 gallons of organic waste streams into 3 megawatts of renewable energy.

Where it Started

Conversations that led to the SNRC began in the 2010s, according to William Ringland, EVWD’s Public Affairs and Conservation Manager. At that time, EVWD’s wastewater was treated at a non-district facility and released into the Santa Ana River, flowing out into the Pacific Ocean. District leadership sought a path to generational sustainability by treating that water and keeping it within EVWD’s service area. However, following a traditional approach on district land would have meant building a walled-off treatment facility in the middle of a residential neighborhood and a couple blocks from a high school.

With a total of 20 acres available, EVWD had plenty of room for creativity besides a treatment facility and administrative center. Driving that creativity depended on extensive community engagement, ranging from community barbecues to on-site meetings.

“At every juncture, our message was ‘We want to be your neighbors and part of the community,’,” Ringland said. “We did face pushback early on in the process, but we answered by consistently placing emphasis on gathering input and incorporating the feedback into the project design.”

Path to Completion

The SNRC broke ground in October 2018, with one last challenge ahead — the COVID-19 pandemic hitting during the middle of a major capital construction project. But with that overcome, EVWD completed the SNRC’s Administrative Center in July 2022, which includes a customer service center, banquet hall for special events and meetings, and a demonstration garden displaying water-efficient landscaping.

EVWD celebrated the treatment of the SNRC’s “first drop” in last January, and an early May ribbon-cutting marked the facility’s going fully operational.

The design-build facility was completed for a total cost of $219.5 million, with funding from a variety of sources, including Proposition 1, low interest loans, grants and through regional infrastructure partnerships.

“It’s really exciting to see the Sterling Natural Resource Center fulfilling its mission as a community resource on so many different levels,” Moore said. “As an engineer, I am excited  knowing all the hard work behind the SNRC’s innovative recycling operation is now creating generational water sustainability for our region. But on a personal level, sometimes it’s just knowing that we have people enjoying our banquet hall, park and walking trails every single day.”

Suggested Resources

15 RESOURCES prev next
Priority Issues Bulletin

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Comment Letter: Bioenergy Feed-in Tariff Program

To: The Honorable Alice Reynolds, President, The Honorable John Reynolds, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission Subject: Need to Extend the Bioenergy Feed-In […]

Dam Safety and Resilience Program – 2024/25 Budget Funds

To: The Honorable Gavin Newsom and Policy Chairs and Budget Subcommittee Chairs Subject: Dam Safety and Resilience Program – Updated 2024/25 […]

Wildfires and Water: The Role of California Public Water Agencies Factsheet

California faces catastrophic climate-driven wildfires, exacerbated by periods of heavy rainfall followed by periods of extreme drought, decades of fire […]

Comment Letter: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates

To: Mr. Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates Letter: […]

Comment Letter: Proposed Public Health Goal for NDMA

To: Ms. Hermelinda Jimenez, PHG Program, Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Branch, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency […]

Support for the Fix Our Forests Act

To: The Honorable Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, and The Honorable Scott Peters, Congressman Subject: Support for the […]

ACWA Scholarship Toolkit for 2025-’26

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Coalition Letter: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates

To: Mr. Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Draft Sacramento/Delta Bay-Delta Plan Updates Letter: […]

ACWA 2024 Fall Conference Presentations

Presentations from ACWA’s 2024 Fall Conference & Expo held December 3-5 in Palm Desert are available below. Please note that […]

Comment Letter to Select Committee on Permitting Reform (Climate Projects)

To: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks Subject: Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform – Climate Project Permitting Recommendations Letter: The undersigned organizations […]

Outreach Handbook

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

ACWA 2024 Fall Conference Attorney Programs

Presentations from the Attorney Programs held during ACWA’s 2024 Fall Conference & Expo December 3-5 in Palm Desert are available […]

ACWA’s Five-Year Strategic Plan

The ACWA Board of Directors approved a new five-year strategic plan in September 2024. The new plan will afford the […]

2024 Summary of Appellate Cases

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Suggested News

15 Articles prev next
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Create Atmospheric River Forecasting Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) on Feb. 4 announced bipartisan legislation that aims to […]

February 2025 Priority Issues Update Now Available

The February 2025 Priority Issues Update is now available online to members. The update is a summary of the latest […]

ACWD to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed Increase in Water Related Rates

The Alameda County Water District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Thursday, February 13 at 6 p.m., […]

Mesa Water District Board Elects Marice H. Depasquale as Board President

COSTA MESA — Mesa Water District (Mesa Water®) is pleased to announce that the Mesa Water Board of Directors (Board) officially […]

WVWD Enhances Communication with Leak and Payment Notifications

WALNUT – Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) continues to enhance customer communication through automated text message alerts for water leaks […]

ACWA Responds to Gov. Newsom’s Executive Order on Flood Control, Groundwater Recharge

SACRAMENTO — The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) issued the following statement from ACWA President Cathy Green regarding Executive […]

Desert Water Agency Announces 2025 Board Members and Positions

Paul Ortega and Kristin Bloomer have started new, four-year terms on the Desert Water Agency Board of Directors. Both were […]

Snowpack Dips Below Average in Second Snow Survey

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. […]

Western Water Board Confirms Leadership Team for 2025

On Jan. 22, 2025, Western Municipal Water District’s (Western Water) Board of Directors voted to appoint Director Laura Roughton as […]

Regional Agencies Come Together to Commemorate Sustainability Milestone

BEAUMONT – San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) supported its regional partner South Mesa Water Company’s (SMWC) advancement of clean, […]

West Basin Municipal Water District Announces 2025 Board Positions

At the January meeting of the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin or District) Board of Directors, the board […]

WVWD and Supervisor Armendarez Enhance Community Fire Safety

RIALTO – West Valley Water District (WVWD), in collaboration with San Bernardino County Supervisor Jesse Armendarez, is taking proactive steps to […]

Jose Lopez Re-Elected as Otay Water District Board President for 2025

SPRING VALLEY – At its January meeting, the Otay Water District board of directors elected Jose Lopez as president for […]

YLWD Secures New Authority of $6.5 Million for Water Infrastructure Projects

The Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD/District) is pleased to announce that it has received a significant boost for its water […]

SWP Increases Allocation Forecast

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) on Jan. 28 announced an update to the State Water Project (SWP) […]