ACWA Member Efforts Jun 1, 2017 Securing California’s Water Future Here are some examples of innovative and wide-ranging projects by ACWA members to create a secure and resilient water supply for California’s future: Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant The Carlsbad Desalination Project is currently the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. A 30-year water purchase agreement is in place between the San Diego County Water Authority and Poseidon Water for the entire output of the plant. The plant has been delivering water to the businesses and residents in San Diego County since December 2015. With a current output of 50 million gallons per day – enough for 400,000 – the plant is helping to reduce the region’s dependence on imported water. Sonoma County Water Agency’s Recycled Water Pipeline Sonoma County Water Agency’s Napa Sonoma Salt Marsh Restoration Pipeline is designed to deliver recycled water for salinity reduction and tidal restoration of 640 acres of former salt ponds. This wetlands restoration project will provide up to 1,700 acre-feet per year to the bittern ponds as part of the habitat enhancement plan. The primary purpose of the pipeline is to provide a source of clean water to help restore the Napa Sonoma Marsh. Available recycled water will be used for agricultural irrigation during and after restoration. Mesa Water District’s Reliability Facility The Mesa Water Reliability Facility allows the district to meet water demand exclusively from local groundwater supplies. The plant features two deep-water wells, a one-million gallon reservoir, and state-of-the-art nanofiltration technology. The deep-water wells pump raw water from approximately 1,000 feet underground. The water is soft and meets all water quality standards, but contains an amber color. The nanofiltration technology treatment process removed the organic color while sand separators and other filters remove inorganic materials. Chloramines are used to disinfect he water before leaving the facility. The water then moves into the onsite reservoir before being pumped into the Mesa Water distribution system. For every gallon on water moved through the facility, 98% is delivered as drinking water to Mesa Water customers. Patterson Irrigation District’s Water Use Efficiency Efforts Patterson Irrigation District may be small – serving about 700 agricultural water users on 13,500 acres – but it is on the forefront of water efficiency practices and improving water quality in the nearby San Joaquin River. The district constructed an innovative reservoir recovery system that recovers irrigation tailwater (water that already has flowed through the field) so it can be reused on other fields. Before the system was in place, the tailwater would have flowed into the San Joaquin River after a single use. The project involved building a small reservoir to store the tailwater, automating key components and installing key SCADA components for effective operation and monitoring. ACWA Bay-Delta Flows Video “A Defining Moment in California Water,” a video produced by ACWA featuring interviews with ACWA members, highlights the need for a more balanced and comprehensive approach to setting water quality objectives in the Bay-Delta watershed. The video shows the stark contrast between the State Water Resources Control Board’s “unimpaired flow” approach and ACWA’s policy statement on Bay-Delta Flow Requirements, which calls for “functional flows” and collaborative, voluntary settlements. While the State Water Board’s approach could lead to widespread fallowing of agricultural land and negatively affect water reliability for much of the state’s population, ACWA’s approach has proven successful in various areas in the state in achieving positive ecological outcomes while maintaining water supply reliability. Want to add your ACWA member agency’s project to this list? Please contact Emily Allshouse at (916) 441-4545.
