WRD Increases Production Of Recycled Water To 8 Million Gallons Per Day

Expansion Project Named in Honor of Congressman Alan Lowenthal

Lakewood, CO /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - At its December 18th dedication ceremony of the newly expanded Leo J. Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (LVLAWTF), the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) honored U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal for his tireless support in securing funding for the expansion project. With the expansion, the advanced water treatment facility will now go from producing 3 million gallons of treated wastewater per day to 8 million gallons per day.

"Today marks an historic moment for the Water Replenishment District of Southern California and for the 4 million residents in our service area who rely on our groundwater supply for daily life," said WRD Board President Sergio Calderon. "With the expanded Leo J. Vander Lans Treatment facility online, the recycled water we now produce brings us ever closer to our goal of 100% independence from expensive and unreliable imported water."

In addition to the increase of 5 million gallons of recycled water that will be produced each day, this plant has now further reduced waste and raised overall recovery from 77% to 92%, making the Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility a leader in water efficiency.

"This state-of-the-art facility is a leader in advanced water treatment," stated WRD Board Treasurer Albert Robles. "WRD is not just breaking new ground, but leading the water industry into a sustainable future that will shield us from future droughts like the one we are currently facing." 

The Alamitos Barrier that currently protects the groundwater in the Central Basin from coastal saltwater intrusion will now use 100% recycled water produced from the LVLAWTF. As water pumpers extract water from the Central Basin, natural water pressures that keep saltwater from entering into and contaminating the groundwater basin are reduced. Consequently, millions of gallons of freshwater needs to be injected into the ground to serve as a barrier and hold back saltwater contamination. The expansion project means that WRD will not need to utilize any imported water in the Alamitos Barrier, thus reducing our reliance on water imported from northern California.

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the regional groundwater management agency that protects and preserves the quantity and quality of groundwater for two of the most utilized urban basins in the State of California. The service area is home to over 4 million residents, nearly half of Los Angeles County, across 43 cities. WRD is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors which includes Willard H. Murray, Jr., Robert Katherman, Lynn Dymally, Sergio Calderon, and Albert Robles.  For more information, please visit WRD at www.wrd.org