Rancho California Water District, California, USA – Exploring groundwater augmentation for the future
The Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water) delivers reliable, high-quality water, wastewater, and reclamation services to over 46,000 connections and 150,000 people in Temecula, Murrieta, and parts of unincorporated Riverside County, California covering approximately 150 square miles.
Known for its industry-leading ideas and dedication to water sustainability and reliability, Rancho Water is exploring the implementation of an indirect potable reuse project to purify tertiary water from the Santa Rosa Water Reclamation Facility and Temecula Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility to high-quality drinking water standards and return it to the local water supply via groundwater injection.
Three main goals and objectives were established by Rancho Water for the Small-Scale Indirect Potable Reuse project:
- Increase water supply reliability
- Maximise recycled water use
- Improve water quality in the Santa Margarita River Watershed
Currently, Rancho Water is assessing options for disposal of brine that will be generated from the indirect potable reuse plant. This assessment will supplement a recently completed implementation plan for the project, which provides cost certainty, public outreach and acceptance, and technical and regulatory requirements. Next steps for the project will include the development of a pilot plant, and ultimately a full-scale indirect potable reuse plant.