Facing extended droughts and extraordinary population growth in Orange County, the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) partnered with CDM to plan and design the Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System, a unique purification process that creates water for indirect reuse from highly treated effluent.
The innovative system uses a three-step process of microfiltration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO), and ultraviolet light disinfection (UV) to purify treated wastewater to near-distilled quality. Following treatment, the cleaned water then mixes with groundwater, providing a new water source for about 500,000 people in Orange County.
Project highlights:
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Multi-barrier approach removes all bacteria, emerging contaminants, chemicals, and viruses before the water is injected into an underground seawater barrier or percolated into aquifers.
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The new, streamlined facility produces 70 million gallons per day (mgd) of purified water in about the same spatial footprint as the previous 5-mgd facility and conserves energy by reusing a local water source in place of importing costly water.
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Expandable to 130 mgd, the revolutionary GWR System is one of the largest plants in the world using MF/RO/UV to purify treated wastewater into drinking water, and it is setting the precedent for recycled water projects around the globe.
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The environment-friendly plant has been embraced by the community and local stakeholders for providing a sustainable water supply and reducing effluent discharged to the Pacific Ocean.
Throughout the project, CDM’s team supported OCWD and OCSD in meetings with the public, board members, and the independent advisory committee. In addition, CDM provided construction support—preparing seven major construction contracts on time and on budget—operations and maintenance services, operator training, and facility startup.
View the ACEC-created video about this award-winning project »