Hesperia Greenlights Water Treatment Plant

Some residents worried about odors, drop in property values

The city council paved the way for the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority to begin construction on a $30M water treatment facility in west Hesperia — to the dismay of some local residents.

On Tuesday, the council approved a resolution that allows the VVWRA to install outdoor percolation ponds and to relocate a lift station on the previously approved 11-acre wastewater plant. The approval of the ponds was the final hurdle for the VVWRA, and the project is set to move forward.

The project site is near Hesperia Green Estates, on the north side of Mojave Street, between Appaloosa Avenue and Tamarisk Avenue, on the north side of Fresno Street and east of Shahaptian Avenue. It includes several buildings, two ponds and landscaping.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, several residents opposed the project with fears that the plant would emit foul odors, be a health hazard and lower property values.
City officials claimed those fears were unfounded.

“This is a resource that Hesperia can’t live without,” said Councilman Russ Blewett, in a VVWRA news release Wednesday. Blewett said Hesperia could be facing very serious issues without the facility due to lack of capacity in the current wastewater infrastructure.

The 11-acre facility, which was approved in 2011, will treat nearly a million gallons of liquid a day, with solid waste continuing north to another VVWRA facility in Oro Grande, once the water project is completed.

One resident was under the impression that solid waste would be treated at the plant, a misconception that Councilman Mike Leonard said was held by many.
The plant will collect and treat liquids that it scalps from the collective system, and the treated water would be used to irrigate parks, school fields and commercial developments in Hesperia that are equipped with purple pipe, the VVWRA release stated.

VVWRA officials have assured the public that a biofilter will handle any foul odors, noise levels will be kept to a minimum and the entire facility can be shut down in case of a catastrophic event such as an earthquake.

VVWRA spokesman Ryan Orr said once construction begins, which includes final testing, the project should take about two years to complete.

“We still need to meet with our board, accept bids, evaluate construction engineers and work through the process before we issue a notice to proceed,” Orr said. “Hopefully, this will happen before spring.”

The council’s decision comes on the heels of a $1.5M grant awarded to VVWRA from the Department of Water Resources and the support of the Mojave Water Agency, according to the release.

The agency has received $2M in grants from the Bureau of Water Reclamation and will apply for an additional $3M this fall.