Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) were honored with the U.S. Water Prize during an awards ceremony at National Geographic headquarters in Washington D.C. on April 7.
Recognized for their joint Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the agencies were lauded as global leaders in reclamation and reuse. The GWRS and its current expansion are realized as a tremendous effort to reduce regional water insecurity and provide a local drought-proof water supply.
Operational since January 2008, the state-of-the-art advanced water purification project produces up to 70 million gallons of high-quality water every day. This is enough water to meet the needs of nearly 600,000 residents in north and central Orange County. “Shrinking budgets and increasing demands are putting pressures on the water sector overall to embrace innovation, integration and collaboration like never before,” said OCWD President Shawn Dewane. “The GWRS is a shining example of what can happen when two agencies work closely together to solve serious issues in their community.”
The agencies have a longstanding partnership that dates back to Water Factory 21. OCWD built and operated Water Factory 21, which was the first plant in the world to use reverse osmosis to purify wastewater to drinking water standards and inject it into the groundwater basin to protect it from seawater intrusion. OCSD supplied the treated wastewater at no charge.
In the mid-1990s OCWD needed to expand Water Factory 21 and address continued problems with seawater intrusion. At the same time, OCSD faced the challenge of having to build a second ocean outfall. Once again, the two agencies joined forces and addressed these issues by building the GWRS.
The GWRS replaced Water Factory 21 and created a ripple effect of benefits to the community, the region and the world. It is one of the most celebrated civil engineering and water reuse projects and serves as a blueprint for water agencies around the globe to help solve their local water supply issues.
“It is always flattering to be recognized for our collaborative efforts, but more importantly this special acknowledgment has provided a new opportunity to place the national spotlight onto the tremendous potential advanced water purification technology
by helping solve our serious water shortages in the United States and around the globe,” said OCSD Chairman Troy Edgar. “The potential for water reuse is tremendous. In Southern California alone, 1.3 billion gallons of treated wastewater is discharged into the Pacific Ocean every day.”
OCWD is currently expanding the GWRS to produce an additional 30 million gallons per day, taking production to 100 million gallons per day. The initial expansion will be complete in early 2015. The two agencies are also looking to complete a final expansion with an ultimate capacity of 130 million gallons per day.
OCWD Director Denis Bilodeau, Division 2, along with OCSD Chair Troy Edgar, accepted the U.S. Water Prize on behalf of the two agencies at the April 7 award ceremony. The U.S. Water Prize was initiated four years ago by the U.S. Water Alliance to elevate those organizations with strategies that promote the value of water and the power of innovating along with integrating one water sustainability.
The Orange County Water District is committed to enhancing Orange County’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly and economical manner. The following cities utilize the groundwater basin managed by OCWD: Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.
The Orange County Sanitation District is a public agency that provides wastewater collection, treatment, and recycling for approximately 2.5 million people in central and northwest Orange County. They operate two facilities — Reclamation Plant No. 1 in Fountain Valley and Treatment Plant No. 2 in Huntington Beach. They treat an average of 207 million gallons of wastewater each day.
For more information about the Prize, please visit www.uswateralliance.org. For more information about OCWD and the GWRS, please call 714-378-3200 or visit www.ocwd.com and www.gwrsystem.com. To learn more about OCSD, please visit www.ocsd.com.
