San Francisco’s Public Utilities (SFPUC) unveiled plans on 7 September 2010 for its proposed Westside Recycled Water Project, part of its Water System Improvement Program.
The new wastewater reuse plant will be constructed in the city’s Golden Gate Park to treat secondary effluent from the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). The recycled water treatment facility would include membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light disinfection and treated water storage and pumping, all within a single building.
The project would produce and deliver up to 2 MGD (7,570 m³/d), with peak deliveries of up to 4 MGD (15,140 m³/d) during the summertime, of treated water suitable for all recycled water uses approved by the State of California. The estimated construction cost of the proposed project is US$ 109 million, with construction planned for completion in 2015.
Highly-treated recycled water would be delivered to a variety of customers through a system of pipelines, pump stations, storage tanks and reservoirs. The system would send recycled water from the treatment facility north to Lincoln Park & Golf Course to be used for irrigation; additionally recycled water would be used for various non-potable uses in Golden Gate Park, including those at the California Academy of Sciences.