The Groundwater Replenishment
System has evolved and changed over time as new goals, data, regulations
and facts have been identified. However, the needs and benefits
of the project have remained constant:
- Orange County needs more reliable, high-quality water in the
future to replenish the groundwater basin, to protect the groundwater
basin from seawater intrusion, and for industrial uses
- The Groundwater Replenishment System reduces the amount of
treated wastewater released into the ocean and delays the need
for another ocean outfall
- The Groundwater Replenishment System decreases Orange County's reliance on imported water from northern California and the Colorado River
- The Groundwater Replenishment System's locally-controlled
water helps drought-proof Orange County
- The Groundwater Replenishment System's new water will help
meet statewide water objectives
- The Groundwater Replenishment System helps reduce mineral
build up in Orange County's groundwater by providing a new source
of ultra-pure water to blend with other sources, including imported
water.
 Water
for Orange County Families
The project will help prevent predicted water shortages in the future. The first phase plans to produce approximately 72,000 acre-feet of water per year. The project can be expanded in future years. One acre-foot of water is 326,000 gallons or enough water to supply the needs of two Orange County families for a year.
Reduces Amount of Sewer Water Currently
Discharged to the Ocean
The GWR System takes highly treated sewer water from the Orange County Sanitation District and treats it to beyond drinking water standards using advanced membrane purification technologies at the Orange Count yWater District in Fountain Valley. The water is injected into an expanded underground seawater intrusion barrier along the coast. The project makes use of more than 30 years of water purification experience began in 1975 with Water Factory 21.
Drought-Proof, High-Quality Water
The Groundwater Replenishment System provides a new drought-proof water source for northern and central Orange County, reducing reliance on imported water. Additionally, the GWR System will save additional funds in the future by improving the quality of the water in the Orange County groundwater basin. This water quality improvement takes place when the new purified water, low in minerals, mixes with existing groundwater, lowering the average mineral content of Orange County's water. Lowering the amount of minerals in the water or reducing water hardness will decrease maintenance costs for Orange County's residents and businesses by extending the life of water heaters, boilers, cooling towers and plumbing fixtures.
State-of-the
Art-Technology
The treated sewer water undergoes an advanced treatment
process that includes two membrane filtration systems - microfiltration
and reverse osmosis, and treatment by ultraviolet
light and hydrogen peroxide. Once purified, the water is
sent to spreading basins. The newly purified
water seeps into the ground, like rain, and blends with groundwater.
Microfiltration (MF)
Microfiltration is a low-pressure membrane filtration process
that takes small suspended particles, bacteria and other materials
out of the water. MF provides the most efficient preparation of
water for reverse osmosis. MF is used in commercial industries
to process food, fruit juices and soda beverages; in computer
chip manufacturing; and to sterilize medicines that cannot be
heated.
Reverse Osmosis (RO)
Reverse osmosis is a high-pressure membrane filtration process that forces water through the molecular structure of several sheets of thin plastic membranes to filter out minerals and contaminants, including salts, viruses, pesticides, and other materials. The RO membranes are like microscopic strainers - bacteria and viruses, as well as inorganic and most organic molecules cannot pass through the membranes.
Ultraviolet (UV) Light and Hydrogen Peroxide
Treatment
During ultraviolet disinfection, water is exposed to ultraviolet
(UV) light, just like the instruments in medical and dental offices,
to provide disinfection. Additionally, ultraviolet light combined
with hydrogen peroxide creates an advanced oxidation reaction
that eliminates any remaining compounds in water by breaking them
down in harmless compounds like carbon dioxide and water. This
multiple barrier process creates an ultra-pure quality water.
|