Current Water Reuse Summary Water Reclamation Activities The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Districts) operate 11 wastewater treatment facilities (Figure 1), 10 of which are classified as water reclamation plants (WRPs). These facilities serve approximately five million people in 78 cities and unincorporated county areas within Los Angeles County. Effluent quality from the WRPs ranges from undisinfected secondary to coagulated, filtered, disinfected tertiary. During Fiscal Year (FY) 2006-07, Districts' facilities produced an average of 486.43 million gallons per day (MGD), or 545,067 acre-feet per year (AFY) of effluent, which is a decrease of 3.2% from the preceding fiscal year, and a 9.3% decrease from the previous historic peak of FY 89-90. As a result of widespread water conservation that began in January 1991 in response to the drought-induced, statewide water crisis, as well as an economic recession, total average effluent flow had decreased by 11% to 477.36 MGD in FY 91-92 from the historic peak of FY 89-90. The overall increase in effluent flows is due in part to population growth, a healthier economy, and the easing of conservation measures in response to the improved statewide water supply situation following the heavy rains of the winters of 1993, 1995 and 1997, and the extremely heavy, El Niño generated rainfall of 1998. Since 1999, total flow production has resumed decreasing despite population increases in the Districts’ service area. This most recent decrease in effluent production is a result of ongoing water conservation efforts (low flow toilets, water efficient washing machines, etc.), combined with record low rainfall (which reduces inflow into the collection system) in the 2006-07 storm season. Figure 1
Location of Districts' Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Of the total effluent produced, 175.10 MGD (196,211 AFY) was recycled water suitable for reuse. The amount recycled is 36.0% of the total amount of effluent produced, a decrease of 6.0% from the preceding fiscal year. Water reclamation capacity at the 10 Districts' facilities is now 251.8 MGD (282,154 AFY). The remaining 311.33 MGD (348,856 AFY) was effluent discharged to the ocean from the Districts' Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in the City of Carson. The Districts' have made continual efforts over the past four decades to divert new, high quality wastewater flows in the Joint Outfall System (JOS) away from ocean disposal to the upstream WRPs, which provide additional recycled water supplies for eventual reuse. Figure 2 illustrates that while flows in the JOS have been increasing, effluent flow to the ocean has held steady (or declined during the drought) and recycled flows have been increasing. Figure 2
Joint Outfall System Flow Diversion to Reclamation
1928-2006
Of the total amount of recycled water produced 84.63 MGD (94,840 AFY) was actively reused for a variety of applications including landscape irrigation, agricultural irrigation, industrial process water, recreational impoundments, wildlife habitat maintenance and groundwater replenishment. The amount of recycled water produced and reused at each of the WRPs and the percent change from the preceding fiscal year is summarized in Table 1. The amount reused is 48.4% of the recycled water produced and is 14.5% more than the amount used during the preceding fiscal year, becoming the fourth highest annual total volume of reuse in Districts’ history (less than 1,000 AF behind the record set in FY 02-03).
During FY 06-07, 14 new landscape began receiving Districts’ recycled water; however, two small reuse sites that had been previously reported separated were combined with larger sites for reporting purposes resulting in a net fiscal year increase of 12 sites. Two factors contributed to the overall increase in reuse from the preceding fiscal year. First, the addition of new reuse sites during the year, including some with very high demand. And second, this fiscal year saw the Los Angeles Basin experience a record low rainfall season. The almost complete lack of rainfall necessitated the increased use of recycled water for both irrigation and groundwater recharge. Table 1
Recycled Water Produced and Reused at Water Reclamation Plants
Fiscal Year 2006 - 07
Water Reclamation
Plant | Quantity Recycled(AFY) | Percent Change
from FY 05-06
(+/-) | Quantity Reused
(AFY) | Percent Change
from FY 05-06
(+/-) | Percent of Recycled Water Used | La Cañada | 107 | -13.0 | 107 | -13.0 | 100 | Long Beach | 15,556 | -17.9 | 5,700 | -3.9 | 36.6 | Los Coyotes | 25,291 | -19.3 | 7,096 | +21.6 | 28.1 | Pomona | 11,095 | -4.1 | 9,525 | -0.9 | 85.8 | San Jose Creek | 87,917 | -4.3 | 40,575 | +25.3 | 46.2 | Whittier | 9,304 | +7.8 | 9,280 | +10.5 | 99.7 | Valencia | 17,607 | -5.1 | 497 | +17.5 | 2.8 | Saugus | 5,600 | +11.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Lancaster | 14,569 | -10.5 | 14,569 | +10.5 | 100 | Palmdale | 9,165 | -2.6 | 7,491 | +6.7 | 81.7 | TOTAL | 196,211 | -6.0 | 94,840 | +14.5 | 48.3 |
The amount of recycled water used for replenishment of the underground water supply can vary greatly from year to year, depending on the amount and timing of rainfall runoff and by maintenance activities in the spreading grounds, as illustrated by the upper bar in Figure 3. The long-term trend of recycled water usage is best represented by the increase in direct, nonpotable reuse for landscape and agricultural irrigation, industrial process supply, and environmental enhancement. The consistent growth of annual average daily demand for direct, nonpotable reuse through FY 06-07 is shown by the lower bar on Figure 3.
Figure 3
Direct Nonpotable Reuse vs. Groundwater Recharge
1980-81 - 2006-07 
Water Recycling Projects |
In 1970, prior to the droughts of 1976-77 and 1987-92, there were six reuse customers using 21 MGD on 940 acres. By the end of the subject fiscal year, there were a total of 532 reuse sites on approximately 14,719 acres, utilizing approximately 1,071,560 linear feet (about 203 miles) of transmission pipelines in 29 cities. This usage includes one city employing a water truck to haul recycled water to various greenbelt areas and occasional private water trucks hauling recycled water to construction sites. Table 2 summarizes the approximate length of distribution system pipelines (if applicable), the amount of recycled water used by each of the water recycling projects (detailed in later sections) and the percent change from the preceding fiscal year.Figure 4 shows the increase in the number of reuse sites receiving recycled water from the Districts from 1970 to mid 2007.
Table 2
Recycled Water Used by Water Recycling Project
Fiscal Year 2005 – 06Project Name | Pipeline Length
(linear feet) | Recycled Water Used
(AFY) | Percent Change
from FY 04-05
(+/-) |
No. of New
Reuse Sites
| La Cañada-Flintridge Country | | 107 | -13.0 | | Long Beach Water Department | 171,900 | 5,395 | +15.1 | | Alamitos Seawater Barrier | | 305 | -74.0 |
| City of Bellflower | 1,900 | 45 | -4.3 | | City of Cerritos | 142,600 | 2,189 | +25.3 | 1 | City of Lakewood | 28,300 | 464 | +24.1 | | Central Basin MWD (Century) | 169,000 | 4,399 | +20.1 | 1 | Pomona Water Department | 37,000 | 4,484 | -17.7 | | Spadra Landfill | | 617 | +34.7 | | Walnut Valley Water District | 166,320 | 1,506 | +70.0 | 9 | Rowland Water District | 29,280 | 5 | -75.0 | | Water Replenishment District | | 46,929 | +17.0 | | City of Industry | 44,350 | 933 | +24.9 | | California Country Club | | 518 | +29.2 | | Chuy’s Nursery | | 10 | +3,233 |
| Central Basin MWD (Rio Hondo) | 95,000 | 293 | +38.2 | | Puente Hills/Rose Hills | 8,900 | 2,598 | +27.3 | | USGVMWD Rio Hondo Extension | 11,020 | 642 | +1,135 | 1 | F.L. Norman's Nursery | | 56 | -409.0 | | Castaic Lake Water Agency | 16,490 | 497 | +17.5 | | Piute Pond | | 9,294 | +4.7 | | Nebeker Ranch | 15,900 | 4,779 | +18.8 | | Apollo Lakes County Regional | 23,800 | 119 | -53.5 | | | Eastern Agricultural Site | 90,900 | 377 | -- | 1 | Los Angeles World Airports Lease | 13,200 | 7,491 | +6.7 |
| TOTALS | 1,071,560 | 94,840 | +14.5 | 14 |
Figure 4
Increase in Number of Reuse Sites
1970-2007
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During FY 06-07, 39.28 MGD (44,017 AFY) was used for groundwater replenishment from the San Jose Creek and Whittier Narrows WRPs. Through the end of FY 06-07, approximately 1,379,923 AF of recycled water from these two plants has recharged the Central Basin. Another 2.60 MGD (2,912 AFY) of effluent river discharge from the Pomona WRP was credited toward indirect groundwater recharge, after estimating how much of this discharge was lost to the ocean during the winter storm season. In the past, this quantity was not included in the total amount of recycled water used, since it was indirect. However, since this quantity is credited against the allowable amount to be recharged, it has been included in the total amount of water actively reused, beginning in FY 94-95.
Another source of replenishment water operated during FY 06-07, as the Alamitos Seawater Intrusion Barrier received 0.272 MGD (305 AFY) of advanced treated recycled water from the Long Beach WRP, through WRD’s Leo Vander Lans Treatment Facility. Even though the purpose of the barrier is to prevent seawater from moving inland and contaminating the groundwater aquifer, most of the injected water moves inland and becomes part of the region’s drinking water supply. This amount was significantly less than the preceding year due to a lack of available effluent from the Long Beach WRP during summertime construction activities, which took half of the plant’s secondary aeration systems out of service, and peak irrigation demands by the City of Long Beach. | Cities with Recycled Water Sites | | Bellflower
| Norwalk
|
| Bell Gardens
| Palmdale
|
| Cerritos
| Paramount
|
| Compton
| Pico Rivera
|
| Cudahy
| Pomona
|
| Diamond Bar
| Rowland Heights
|
| Downey
| Santa Clarita
|
| El Monte
| Santa Fe Springs
|
| Huntington Park
| Signal Hill
|
| Industry
| South Gate
|
| La Canada
| Vernon
|
| Lakewood
| Walnut
|
| Lancaster
| West Covina
|
| Long Beach
| Whittier
|
| Lynwood
| | |
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The total of 42.15 MGD (47,234 AFY) that went to groundwater replenishment was a 14.5% increase over the preceding fiscal year. Of the total amount of water reused during FY 06-07, 49.8% went for groundwater replenishment, which is only the fourth time in history (and fourth year in a row) that this reuse application has dropped below half of total reuse, albeit only by a fraction of a percent. This was the result of two factors. First, there was an increased usage for direct, nonpotable applications, particularly the addition of a power plant in the City of Vernon and the increased agricultural acreage under irrigation in the City of Palmdale. But more importantly, reuse for groundwater replenishment in the Montebello Forebay was held below the 60,000 AFY it could have potentially received due to the reconstruction of the Beverly Blvd. bridge over the Rio Hondo, necessitating reduced flows (including recycled water deliveries) to the spreading grounds.
The remainder of the recycled water usage was divided between four broad categories of direct usage. A total of 500 of the individual reuse sites used recycled water for some form of landscape irrigation, and approximately 16.610 MGD (18,612 AFY), or 19.6% of the total water reused, went toward this application. These sites include 96 parks, 95 schools, 126 commercial and office buildings, 89 roadway greenbelts, 24 public facilities (e.g., police station, post office, libraries, landfills), 20 golf courses, 18 nurseries, 16 residential developments, nine churches and six cemeteries. Agricultural usage was approximately 12.597 MGD (14,118 AFY), or 14.9% of the total reused. Industrial applications of recycled water (which include carpet dyeing, paper manufacturing, oil field injection, cooling systems and construction applications such as dust control and concrete mixing) totaled 4.973 MGD (5,573 AFY), or 5.9% of the total reused. And finally, 8.294 MGD (9,294 AFY), or 9.8% of the total reused, went to environmental enhancement of a wildlife habitat in the Mojave Desert. Figure 5 shows the distribution of reuse flows among these various applications. Table 3 lists the number of sites in each category of use, along with total acreage and average daily usage.
Figure 5
Distribution of Recycled Water Usage
Fiscal Year 2006-07
Table 3
Categories of Recycled Water Usage
Fiscal Year 2004-05
Reuse Application | No. of Sites | Area Applied
(acres) | Usage
(MGD) | Parks | 96 | 2,942.8 | 4.380 | Golf Courses | 20 | 2,263.8 | 4.604 | Schools | 95 | 1,107.8 | 2.012 | Roadway Greenbelts | 87 | 602.3 | 1.095 | Public Facilities1 | 24 | 492.7 | 1.255 | Commercial Buildings | 119 | 382.9 | 1.027 | Nurseries | 18 | 134.8 | 0.277 | Cemeteries | 6 | 1284.4 | 1.604 | Residential | 16 | 114.2 | 0.326 | Churches | 8 | 9.5 | 0.034 | Industrial2 | 18 | 158.7 | 4.973 | Agriculture3 | 9 | 4179 | 12.597 | Environmental | 1 | 400 | 8.294 | SUBTOTAL | 517 | 14,072.9 | 42.478 | Groundwater Recharge | 3 | 646 | 42.152 | TOTAL | 520 | 14,718.9 | 84.630 |
NOTES: 1. "Public Facilities" includes police stations, libraries, post offices, city halls, government offices, landfills, etc. 2. Industrial processes receiving recycled water include paper manufacturing, carpet dyeing, concrete mixing, cooling, oil field injection and construction applications such as soil compaction and dust control. 3. The California Polytechnic University, Pomona, while technically a school, uses most of its recycled water for agricultural purposes and is thus included in this category.
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At the end of FY 06-07, the Districts had 21 contracts (one currently inactive and four pending initial deliveries) for the sale and/or delivery of recycled water produced at its facilities. Actual O&M and energy costs incurred by the Districts while operating the pump stations on behalf of the purchasers of recycled water are also fully recovered through these contracts. Since the recycled water delivered to the various distribution systems was not dosed with either sulfur dioxide or sodium bisulfate for dechlorination or with defoamant, an estimated $79,800 in chemical savings was realized at the five Los Angeles Basin WRPs. Table 4 compares selected potable water rates and recycled water rates (in effect as of the end of FY 06-07), illustrating the savings realized by the end users. Table 5 lists all of the current recycled water purveyors.
Table 4
Potable vs. Recycled Water Rates
Fiscal Year 2006-07
Purveyor | Potable Water
(/AF) | Recycled Water
($/AF) | Discount
(%) | Long Beach Water Department | 755.33 | 377.67 – 528.82 | 30 - 50 | City of Cerritos | 614.20 | 326.70 | 47 | City of Lakewood | 740.52 | 444.31 | 40 | Central Basin MWD | 525.00 | 255.00 – 322.00 | 38 - 51 | Pomona Water Department | 604.19 | 422.93 | 30 | Walnut Valley Water District | 762.30 | 647.96 | 15 | Rowland Water District | 635.98 – 853.78 | 544.50 | 14 – 36 | San Gabriel Water Company | 642.77 | 201.51 – 546.94 | 15 – 69 | Valencia Water Company | 424.27 | 356.32 | 12 |
Table 5
Recycled Water Purveyors
City of Long Beach
1800 East Wardlow Road
Long Beach, CA 90807-4994
(562) 570-2300 | City of Paramount
16400 Colorado Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
(562) 220-2020 | Central Basin Municipal Water District
17140 South Avalon Blvd., Suite 210
Carson, CA 90746-1218
(310) 217-2411 | City of Cerritos
Bloomfield at 183rd Street
Cerritos, CA 90701
(562) 860-0311 | City of Santa Fe Springs
11710 Telegraph Road
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
(562) 868-0511 | Park Water Company
9750 Washburn Road
Downey, CA 90241
(562) 923-0711 | City of Lakewood
5050 North Clark Avenue
Lakewood, CA 90714
(562) 866-9771 | City of Downey
9252 Stewart & Gray Road
Downey, CA 90242
(562) 904-7202 | Bellflower Municipal Water Systems
16913 Lakewood Blvd.
Bellflower, CA 90706
(562) 531-1500 | City of Bellflower
16600 Civic Center Drive
Bellflower, CA 90706
(562) 804-1424 | City of Whittier
13250 East Penn Street
Whittier, CA 90602
(562) 945-8215 | Bellflower-Somerset Mutual Water Co.
10016 Flower Street
Bellflower, CA 90706
(562) 866-9980 | City of Industry
P.O. Box 3366
Industry, CA 91744
(626) 333-2211 | City of South Gate
4244 Santa Ana Street
South Gate, CA 90280
(323) 563-5795 | Golden State Water Company
10016 Rosecrans Avenue
Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 907-9200 | City of Pomona
505 South Garey Avenue
Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 620-2236 | City of Lynwood
11330 Bullis Road
Lynwood, CA 90262
(562) 603-0220 | San Gabriel Valley Water Company
11142 Garvey Avenue
El Monte, CA 91733
(626) 448-6183 | City of Cudahy
5220 Santa Ana Street
Cudahy, CA 90201
(323) 773-5143 | City of Norwalk
12700 Norwalk Boulevard
Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 929-2677 | City of Huntington Park
6900 Bissell Street
Huntington Park, CA 90255
(323) 584-6323 | Walnut Valley Water District
271 South Brea Canyon Road
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 595-7554 | Rowland Water District
3021 S. Fullerton Road
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(562) 697-1726 | Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD
11310 East Valley Boulevard
El Monte, CA 91781(626) 423-2297 | City of Pico Rivera
6615 Passons Boulevard
Pico Rivera, CA 90660-1016
(562) 801-4462 | Castaic Lake Water Agency
27234 Bouquet Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
(661) 573-1252 | Valencia Water Company
24631 Avenue Rockefeller
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 294-0828 | City of Vernon
4305 Santa Fe Avenue
Vernon, CA 90058
(323) 583-8811 | | |
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