Number of Jobs Created: 700 jobs
Project Description
This important Water Reuse project will expand Orange County Water District’s existing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) to produce an additional 30 MGD drought-proof drinking water supply for its service area. The project will replenish the Orange County Groundwater Basin and reduce the need for imported water. Treated wastewater from the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) Plant 2 will be purified using a three-step process that produces high quality water and then stored in the groundwater basin. The final expansion project will include expanding the existing treatment facility, constructing a pump station, rehabilitating pipelines, and reconfiguring the treatment process.
Project Benefits
- The Water Reuse project provides an additional 31,000 acre-feet per year drought-proof water supply at a lower cost than imported water.
- Reduces approximately 40 MGD of secondary effluent from being discharged into the ocean.
- Increases the replenishment of the groundwater basin.
- Upon completion, the GWRS will be recyling all of OCSD’s reclaimable wastewater and will produce enough water for more than 1 million people.
- Original loan executed in 2018 saves the Orange County Water District up to $16 million from financing with a WIFIA loan compared to typical market financing.
- Re-execution of the WIFIA loan in 2020 saves the Orange County Water District an additional $75 million.