Reclamation funds reuse in California and New Mexico

Five congressionally authorized water reclamation and reuse projects in California and New Mexico, USA, will receive cost-shared funding for planning, design and construction of their projects, following a Bureau of Reclamation announcement on 21 May 2013.

The Title XVI projects will receive US$ 15.6 million in funding through the Department of Interior’s WaterSMART program.

“This funding can help communities in California and New Mexico stretch their water supplies using time-tested methodologies and piloting new concepts,” said Secretary Jewell. “We all want to make sure that we’re using water efficiently and sustainably, and the WaterSMART program establishes a cohesive framework to provide federal leadership and assistance to our local partners as we work together to tackle this challenge.”

The five projects are:

Long Beach Area Water Reclamation Project Alamitos Barrier Recycled Water Project Expansion Water Replenishment District of Southern California
Funding: US$ 1,712,683
The Alamitos Barrier Recycled Water Project Expansion will increase the effluent treatment capacity of the Leo J Vander Lans Water Treatment Facility located in Long Beach, California. The treatment capacity of the facility will increase from 3 to 8 MGD (11,000 to 30,000 m³/d). The treated effluent is used to maintain the Alamitos Barrier, which is an engineered fresh water pressure ridge designed to protect the Central Groundwater Basin and Coastal Plains from seawater intrusion. This project will eliminate the need for potable water to be used in the Alamitos Barrier.

North Bay Water Reuse Program Sonoma County Water Agency
Funding: US$ 4 million
The North Bay Water Reuse Program will provide recycled water to agricultural, environmental, industrial, and landscape uses throughout Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties in northern California. The program will include upgrades of treatment processes and construction of storage, pipelines and pump station facilities to distribute recycled water. It will reduce the reliance on local and imported surface and groundwater supplies and reduce the amount of effluent released to San Pablo Bay and its tributaries.

San Jose Area Water Reclamation & Reuse Program City of San Jose
Funding: US$ 4 million
This is a joint effort of local municipalities and water districts administered by the City of San Jose to serve recycled water throughout Santa Clara County. Current infrastructure includes more than 120 miles (190 km) of pipeline, four pump stations and 9.5 million gallons (36,000 m³) of storage. Recycled water is used for multiple purposes, including environmental restoration, urban agriculture, landscape and industry.

Watsonville Area Water Recycling Project Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
Funding: US$ 4 million
The Watsonville Area Water Recycling Project is a joint effort by the City of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, and is intended to reduce overdrafting of groundwater resources and subsequent seawater intrusion. This project provides 4,000 acre-feet (4.9 million m³) of recycled water per year for irrigation by blending effluent from the city’s wastewater treatment plant it with higher quality water to reduce salinity.

Albuquerque Metropolitan Area Water Reclamation and Reuse Project Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
Funding: US$ 1,887,317
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority will use the funds to design and construct an expanded treatment system at the Southside Water Reclamation Plant. The project is expected to save 2,500 acre-feet (3.08 million m³) of water annually in addition to the 3,000 acre-feet (3.7 million m³) of reclaimed water being produced by other components of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area Water Reclamation & Reuse Project.