THE STORY: PURE WATER
Sitting on a 20 acre site in Fountain Valley, Orange County, this is the biggest and most expensive plant of its kind anywhere in the world. Costing nearly $500 million, this Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) plant may be the solution to the increasingly desperate water problem in the dry arid coastline of southern California. So why did it take 10 years to persuade uneasy residents and local politicians that it was necessary? Because the GWR System takes sewage and turns it into quality drinking water!
Could this solve California’s water crisis?
People expect water to be there when they turn on the tap. But in growing arid regions like Orange County in Southern California, sufficient water is not naturally guaranteed. With an increasing population and the onset of global warming, water supply is becoming a serious issue in Southern California.
Fortunately for the 2.3 million residents living there, the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District jointly developed the Ground Water Replenishment (GWR) System which will provide enough water to meet the needs of an additional 500,000 people without diminishing groundwater resources for current or future generations.
The GWR System diverts highly treated sewer water that is currently discharged into the ocean and purifies it though a series of advanced techniques: microfiltration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection and hydrogen peroxide. The cleaned water is returned to the groundwater basin to increase both water supply and quality.
Test your knowledge of the water purification process in our game Sip of sewage!
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Reverse Osmosis (Purification)
Orange County, California USA may be considered the playground of the privileged but it has problems… it’s 3 million residents use lots of water and there is not enough to go around.
GAMES! Now you have watched the films, put your engineering skills to the test by playing our interactive games:
