The facility will allow the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) to develop the first locally sustainable groundwater basins in California.
Construction of the Groundwater Reliability Improvement Project (GRIP) / Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF) is due to start this fall with planned completion by 2018.
After the plant’s completion, WRD’s two groundwater basins, the Central and West Coast Basins, will be replenished with captured stormwater and recycled water,
Most of the water will be purified by the GRIP facility for safe and reliable groundwater replenishment.
It will eliminate the need to import around 21,000 acre feet of water imported from Northern California and from Colorado River to maintain water levels in the groundwater basins.
WRD board of directors, president Willard H. Murray, Jr said: "The Los Angeles region has a long and sometimes colorful history of importing water to quench our thirst.
"With this project WRD will be turning a corner in our water history. WRD’s future will be built on water recycling, drought-proofing our water supplies and ending our reliance on imported water. All these new developments will be great for rate-payers and for the environment."
