We asked Stephen Glenn, Management Analyst II Ventura Water to answer a few questions. This is part 2 of 2.
How are we using reclaimed water?
The Ventura Water Reclamation Facility (VWRF) was expanded in 1972 to include tertiary filters to provide filtered effluent for both water reclamation and discharge to the Santa Clara River Estuary. Effluent reuse for irrigation is an integral part of the Recycled Water Program. Use of recycled water represents a reduction in demand on the drinking water supply of approximately 325 million gallons per year. Ventura Water supplies recycled water from the VWRF to irrigate the City’s two public golf courses, Marina Park and landscape areas near Olivas Drive and in the Harbor area.
In 2015, the City initiated a pilot project to test the feasibility of constructing an advanced water purification facility (AWPF) to maximize quantity and reliability of potable supplies by purifying tertiary treated effluent produced by the VWRF and optimizing its potable reuse, rather than discharging into the Santa Clara River Estuary. The pilot facility operated for 9 months and produced favorable results, indicating highly reliable purification technologies, providing information on operational needs and costs, and the absence of risk to public health and safety. As a result, the City is proposing to construct a full-scale AWPF, that is one component of the VenturaWaterPure Program.
The City of Ventura is currently in the planning phases for the VenturaWaterPure Program that includes the state-of-the-art AWPF. The VenturaWaterPure Program consists of several capital improvement projects and will be a new, locally owned source of highly purified drinking water that provides Ventura with a long-term drought resilient water supply solution. On October 14, 2019, Ventura City Council unanimously voted to certify the EIR for the Ventura Water Supply Projects. Following completion of the environmental review process, the next steps include permitting, final design, and bidding for construction. The project is anticipated to initially produce at least 2,800 AFY and ultimately produce at least 4,000 AFY.
Lastly, Ventura Water offers customers the opportunity to receive recycled water through the Mobile Reuse Program. Through this program, customers can pick-up and haul and unlimited amount of recycled water from the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility for landscape irrigation, dust control, and soil compaction. Before receiving recycled water through the program customers must first complete a training and obtain a permit.
