Point Loma and

An Integrated Water and Wastewater Solution

Ann Sasaki, Assistant Public Utilities Director

Industrial Environmental Association Water Committee

September 11, 2014

San Diego Water/Wastewater Facts

Provide services to 8th largest US city & surrounding area

1.3M water & 2.5M wastewater customers from

15 agencies

Regulated by Federal & State

agencies

USEPA, CDPH, San Diego Water

Board

~$1B invested in systems over last

5 years

More than $412M planned capital projects

over next 2 years

Annual purchase of imported

water ($209M) and facility

construction and maintenance are

biggest costs

Metropolitan Sewerage SystemSignificant Regional

Asset:• 2.5 million served• 450-sq miles• 12-Participating

Agencies• 4- Wastewater

Facilities• 8-Major Pump Station• Two Ocean Outfalls

Pt Loma - Current Status

• Pt. Loma WWTP is the backbone of the sewerage system

• Pt. Loma WWTP is a chemically enhanced advanced primary treatment plant

• Pt. Loma WWTP has a 4.5 mile long deep ocean outfall (310 feet in depth)

• Outfall provides superior dispersion and a high degree of dilution

Pt Loma - Current Status• Extensive ocean monitoring has not identified any

negative impact to marine organisms surrounding the outfall

• Operates with a modified Clean Water Act 301(h) permit– Alternative discharge standards for Total Suspended

Solids (TSS) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

• The current permits expires on July 31, 2015

Pt Loma Permit - Options

• Apply for another modified permit– Stakeholder concerns, wasting a resource

• Convert the Pt. Loma WWTP to secondary treatment– Very costly, $1.8 Billion– Site constraints– Unnecessary, no negative impacts to ocean

environment

Pt Loma Permit - Options

• Recycled Water as a resource– 2012 Recycled Water Study– Advanced Water Purification Plant – Reduce flow to Pt. Loma, less ocean discharge

85% of Our Water is Imported

SAN DIEGO IS

DOWNSTREAM

San Diego

• Limited local & imported supplies

• Recurring drought• Population growth• Bay Delta constraints• Natural disaster risk• Rising imported water costs

Numerous Water Challenges

$0

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

Imported Water Cost per Acre-Foot

9

City of San Diego:• Water Conservation

• Groundwater Development

• Recycled Water

• Potable Reuse (Pure Water)

10

Regional:• Importing Water

• Water Conservation

• Desalination (SDCWA)

What is Being Done?

What is Pure Water San Diego?

• 20 year program to provide a safe, reliable and local drinking water supply for San Diego

• Is a cost-effective solution, eliminating the need for expensive upgrades to the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant

• Uses proven water purification technology and is environmentally sustainable

How Does This Process Work?

• Conducted 9,000 lab tests – Routinely met all standards• Exceptional water quality - comparable to distilled water• Energy use is comparable to imported water and costs about

$1,700 – 1,900 per AF

Pure Water San Diego Has Been Successfully Demonstrated

1 Million Gallon per Day Demonstration Project

Microfiltration & Ultrafiltration Reverse Osmosis

Advanced Oxidation with UV Light &

Hydrogen Peroxide

Project Report - Adopted by

City Council in 2013

Independent Advisory Panel Verified

Experienced scientists & health professionals

reviewed and evaluated research studies and

treatment

George Tchobanoglous, Ph.D., P.E., ChairProfessor Emeritus, UC, Davis Richard Gersberg, Ph.D., Vice-Chair Professor and Head, Division of Occupational and Environmental HealthDirector, Coastal and Marine Institute, SDSUMichael A. Anderson, Ph.D.University of California, RiversideSunny Jiang, Ph.D.University of California, Irvine

James Crook, Ph.D., P.E.Water Reuse Consultant (Boston, Massachusetts)David R. Schubert, Ph.D.The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesAudrey D. Levine, Ph.D., P.E., DEEU.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Richard Bull, Ph.D.Consulting ToxicologistMoBull Consulting (Richland, WA)Joseph A. Cotruvo, Ph.D.PrincipalJoseph Cotruvo Associates (Washington, D.C.)Michael P. WehnerDirector of Water Quality and TechnologyOrange County Water District (Fountain Valley, CA)

Others Are Doing It Successfully

• Operating since 2008• Places purified water into the

groundwater basin • Currently expanding its capacity

• Operating since 1978 • Recycled water is added to a

surface storage reservoir• Potable water supply source for

Fairfax County, VA

Fairfax, VAOrange County, CA

State & Federal Regulators Are Supportive

• September 7, 2012, California Department of Public Health approves the San Vicente Reservoir Augmentation Concept

• February 12, 2013, the Regional Water Board supports the City’s efforts to develop the San Vicente Reservoir Augmentation Project

Pure Water - Developing Our Local Water Supply

Wastewater will be purified at North City Plant and delivered to San Vicente Reservoir

Initial

phase 2023

83 MGD

Wastewater will be purified at Harbor Drive and South Bay Plants and delivered to San Vicente and Otay Reservoirs

Long- term

2035

San Vicente Reservoir

Miramar Water Treatment Plant

Alvarado Water Treatment Plant

Lower Otay Reservoir

Otay Water Treatment Plant

Full Scale AWP Facility at North City

Harbor Drive Treatment

Facility

Pure Water integrated with the Point Loma Permit

• Permit renewal application due January 31, 2015

• Modified Permit (Waiver) • Commitment to Pure Water to

reduce flow to Pt Loma– 15 mgd by 2023– Add’l 15 mgd by 2027– Add’l 53 mgd by 2035

• Cost Effective and Environmentally Sensitive

Pure Water San Diego Saves Money

20152017

20192021

20232025

20272029

20312033

20352037

20392041

20432045

20472049

$500,000,000$700,000,000$900,000,000

$1,100,000,000$1,300,000,000$1,500,000,000$1,700,000,000$1,900,000,000

Pure Water Secondary

Pure Water San Diego

System upgrades w/o Pure Water

About $250 million in ratepayer savings

Who Supports Pure Water?

• Elected Officials

– City Council Resolution, April 29, 2014

• Environmental Groups

• Wastewater Participating Agencies

• Professional Engineering Community

• Water Reliability Coalition

• Business Community

• Independent Rates Oversight CommitteeFriends of

Infrastructure

Pure Water San Diego Next Steps

• Stakeholder and customer outreach - Ongoing

• Design - Underway

• Council approval of Point Loma permit application – October 2014

• Begin Environmental Review – November 2015

• Submit Point Loma permit application - Jan 2015

What Can I Do?• Visit our website Purewatersd.org• •

• Purewatersd• Register for tours PureWaterSD.org/tours• Join our mailing list or sign a support card

Pure Water San Diego

@PureWaterSD

Questions?