CDM News - May 2008 - (Page 2) Microfiltration begins the purification process by filtering out bacteria and protazoa. During reverse osmosis, water passes through tiny membranes filtering out pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and any remaining bacteria. 2 3 1 After treated effluent enters the facility it will undergo a threestep purification process. Long a pioneer of water reclamation and recycling, in the 1960s OCWD began a pilot-scale water reuse project that developed into the well-known Water Factory 21 (WF21). After nearly three decades of success, WF21 could not keep up with demands, prompting a unique collaboration between OCWD and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD). Around the same time that OCSD was considering a second ocean outfall to handle peak storm flow, OCWD was seeking to expand WF21 to meet drinking water needs. Collaborative Approach, Creative Solutions the Santa Ana River. As OCWD general manager Michael Markus, P.E., explained, “They [OCSD] have always been very supportive of reclamation. This project essentially builds on that partnership; it is a real success story element of this project.” That spirit of partnership served as a cornerstone of the project—not just between two utilities, but also between OCWD and the CDM design team. Due to its magnitude, the project was broken down into several components, each led by a CDM design team member paired with an individual from OCWD. “For an environmental engineer, this is the job of a lifetime … the blend of being challenged technically and knowing that you are working on something that not many people in the world have done is just incredible.” — R. Bruce Chalmers, P.E., CDM associate and project engineer Building on a relationship that began in the 1970s, both utilities saw the GWR system as an optimal solution—maximizing a previously wasted resource and indefinitely delaying the need for a second ocean outfall. The water purification facility treats clarified secondary effluent to drinking water standards for use in the seawater barrier and for recharge of the groundwater basin. During peak wet weather periods, the GWR system will treat wastewater with MF and UV and discharge it to “We had to have close collaboration with the CDM designers,” said Markus. “It started during the preliminary design stage and continued throughout the project. One thing that helped tremendously was the involvement of senior management from CDM, especially Paul Brown. He was essential in making sure that all of the necessary resources were available.”
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