Planning to meet future water requirements by Orange County, California

2kakkatin. 23(1977)471-483 OZkevier S5sntificPubIishingCompany. Amsterdam-Frintedin~eNetherianrIa

PLAXNIKG 'IOHSST FDTURS BY OI&7.XGE COLIST. Preston

The Orange

County

Hater

District

basin

responsibilities

replenishPent

include

alternatives

spread

runoff,

local

The construction

to ncet

and proven

the increased

In the future, n.\ longer

result, nore

have or

supplies

the luxury

Southern

County

of depending

of water

California

than half of its water

will be the guidelines

forefront

will

Factory

of recleation,

by developing

regions

totally

not have

supply

innovative

intrusion.

deronstratcd

reuse

projects

vatersheds.

will water

As a

affluence

to dispose

Conservation

resources.

zr.d reuse

Because

of these

the door by demonstrating

endeavor

projects

produced

of the world

the water

21 has opened OCWD will

21 has

upon traditional

to the ocean. water

and

Lrst century.

frozn the distant

for extending

and since Water

factors,

the feasibility

and other

It has

seawater

of wastewater

of the twenty-

Orange

rnportation

C.zcto_y

considered

basin.

water,

and retard

0E Water

the techne‘..

d-ds

has historically

inported

the basin

Its

of both quantity

the groundwater

all available

to replenish

with nanagenent

California.

and protection

Tine District

and impltzxentation

the feasibility

County,

for maintaining

utilized

wastewater

Argo

(OCXD) is challenged

in Orange

of the groundwater.

all possible

reclaimed

REQiiEE'~~

CALJIFOi?XIA

Allen, Hillian Khittenberg and David Orange County Water District Fountain Valley, California

of the rxajor groundwater

and Tuality

WATER

471

to rerzzin in the

to produce

reusable

water.

In the future, options such as the Orange County Irrigation and Reuse System, and

tke

the Seal corona

our belief roles Grange

Beach

Desalter

Reclamation will

that reclamation,

in future County

groundwater

Plant,

provide desalting cznagaent

vater

the Anahein supply

Forebay

and reuse will have and water

but also throughout the world.

Project

alternatives.

supply,.not

It is

significant only

in

472

is located

county

orange

between

cities

the cz,or

of Dountains

sloping

~na hiver, which

The average

coastal

andbaseand

60 percent,

California,

vith -,

including

supplies,

stomflovs

The Santa

provides

Ana

25 percent

carp

winters.

Esticates

precipitation,

the Santa

through

an

County

end nald

dry s1p9ers

1).

is

gently

The clisxate of Orange

cu n per year , 2 sparse

146 to 160 pillion

CO percent

to the southwest.

in Southern

plain

(refer to Figure

is a_pproximstely 33 QS per year.

total local yield of water flows,

Ocean

cu m ennually.

as Kediterranean,

rainfell

the rexmining

the Pacific

is the largest

of 75 million

be classified

calffonlia's and San Diego

and hills;

lahds entering

average

southern

total area of 2036 sq km , approxinately

of the county's cmprrsed

in

of Los Angeles

of

return

River,

range

of Grange

from

County's

water needs. Orange cou.ky*s to

the

population

early 1800's nately

rate follows

of the vorid.

e recachzbly As shown

to 1940 grcvth was relatively

20,000

to 220,000.

grovtb

9mwth

to 130,000 people. During

population

tripled,

population

doubled

reaching

slow, increasing

this rapid grovth During

705.000.

1.720.000

that in the next 50 years

to grov. and by the year: 2026 will have doubled

predollinmtly differeat Figure

agricultural

attitudes

upon the water

water decacds l Ae

local yield of the basin.

Since

County

of the natural

have been in excess

recharge

the

In

Today's

annually

population

for dunestic

County will

to about

3,350,OOO.

in the transformation

supplies.

have been vithin

1900's

of a

of 1,720,WO

purposes.

FISShOUIlFn

the Units

the water demands

anount

of uater

1926, vhen only 60.000 people

totaldaccsticuaterusewa~

=mty, year.

besin.

of Orange

area to an urban cozzxunity with significautly

and dmands

3. ohly agricultural

has resulted

and

the county's

It is anticipated,

continue

in population

the population

appoxi-

doubled

to slovrn

in ,7uly, 1976.

however,

This increase

frca

increased

the 1960's

Tbegrovthratehasbegun

Lo 1.420,OOO.

the last six yeers,

resecblance 2, frca the

Froze 1940 to 1950, population

the next decade reaching

close

in Figure

avaFlable

to

lived in Orange

approxiczately 154millioncumpe.c uses nearly

of

in Orange

493 million

cu P

PACIFIC

U#CTED

OCEA

\ \

LOS ANGELES

STATES

414

0 / 0 0

0 0 / /

0 0

0 0 / 0 /

I’

PROJECTED-

YEAS3

the

prom

of water

sfxadpoint

the major

underlying ihtheaxmty*s

populationgmuth.

the graunduater

basin

which

led to A serious

has

County

been

additional

supplies.

ioquaritities

Allof

SoutheruCaliforniahas

~udg-rouud~tersupplies

groundwater

In 1928 the cities

su9plies.

ten other Counties of

cities

and agencies

organized

Southern

and build

the Colorado

Colorado

River.

the California It5 Durpose

@HD).

thus allovikg

California

to Southern

the

in Table

1.9 million

sane

the

is the

major portion franoutside

water

which

supply

1, the volume

of

demands

continuing

District

to 9?xm,

State Hater Saaaflento

of uater

aZso

pxduction

increased

vater

cuaiag frtxm to meet

of the uater

no31 being

with ovet

Project.

River

fraa Korthern

used

the

IA 1975 total water y=cz,

surface

At

und in 1975 reached

increased

in Orange

from

increased

cu P in 1975.

278 million

derived

of 153 mil1ion.Cl.l m C.f *rt m of bz&

uater

247 million

iu history,

N

Kater

of 390 lm from the

i.cqorted

level

and 8 million

aud

is now ca_Sable of deliveriug

trausport

cu m in 1940 to over

supplies.

Fullerton

and San Diego

of MHD uas to develop

the California

thebasiu,withthebalance

local surface consisted

purpose

fram the massive

cont+uxxzs

increased

Califo&a.

groundrater

its third highest

Where

iuitiated

is to re9ulatGcn4mff

As shown

prime

IA 1951. with water

watershed.

Ana, Anaheim,

per dry over a distance

Legislature

eqzmdiug

fACedVitb

of Santa

River Aqueduct,

liters

local

growth;

to form the Metropolitan

The

elevations

exaniningdistantAlten?ative

in Los Zingeles, Orange

an association

California

up to four billion

almost

similar

iusufficieuttomeetthe

supply,begau

recharge

the ax.stliue.

Thus SoutileinCalifOruiAAndDrangecouuty.

needs.

vaterdeztaudacddiniuishiag watex

iutrusionalortg experienced

havebeen

uatwal

1956, over 80 percent

of thegroundvaterbasiuvasoverdrafted,bringiug seawater

Continued

exceeding

By the year

overdraftcoadition.

belowse~levelaudcausing

basfn

primary factor

a

Asurbandemandsiuc~eased,itn~

provided

reservoir

useofthegr0undwater

vast graunduater

the

supply,

portion of Orange

County

cu m extracted.

demands?

ftom grouudwter

use uas 439 uiX.ion 278Patllfoncum

supply.

The

is imported and N

m And

ofgrou&-

TABLE

I

WATER SUPPLIES IN THE OR&NGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT* SEASON

IMPORTED

ENDING

SEPT

30

WATER STATE

WATER

PROJECT

COLO,RADO RIVER

TOTAL

GRODNDWATER

1940

1.796

0

1.796

206.981

1950

47.437

0

47.437

252.621

1960

281.335

0

281.335

255.887

1970

239.453

0

239.453

239.766

1971

234.545

0

234.545

251.539

1972

228.970

0

228.970

282.531

1973

210.752

0.617

211.369

265.182

1974

189.S70

80.266

269.856

269.968

J-975

209.056

38.029

247.053

278.274

*All

units

are

million

Cubic

meters.

418

Inported Water of

Construction forcation

the

aqueduct

was completed.

southern

California

nzjor

expansion

to 3,785,OOO

It becarce obvious

vould

River

Aqueduct

pumps

is lifted

493 I;Iby five separate

series

of nine pucps

of the pump adzors

of 1.69 kwh/cu

capable

water

and runoff

to south

about

pumping

watff

of 2.69 kuh/cu

River

each of

to lift,

Tine kilowatt

River.

the and

Transporting aqueduct

a systers of dams, cu m of water

lift the water it southward

in the system,

587 n in a single

in 1951

Once

could be diverted

2.447 million

and deliver

being

County.

construction

of the largest

Through

water

has a

requirement

California.

sea level at Silverucod largest

energy

to Orange

water

Southern

construction

can move

whicn

the largest

A total

to the Sacrecento

and

aqueduct,

the

began with

controlled,

litt.

P is used to deliver

annually

frco. near sea

to the highest

Lake.

Tine A. D.

has 14 units A total

of

net energy

state water

to Southern

California. Through

these

import

transported

to Orange

local water

supply

direct Water

(imported

use in groundwater project

systems

County.

water

1975 over

and runoff)

replenfshxuent

and the Colorado

of

large volrnes

During

water

have been

75 percent

of the non-

to the area of OckD

was purchased

p.iver weduct

of

and countam

to its teminal

of

the water

_pucping plants

Delta

station,

134 m.

Aqueduct.

Eight

1,067 P above

kw elevating

requirecent

capacity

deliveries

340 cu n per minute.

Project

requirmd

the systen

725 kn.

in the San Joaquin

59,656

over

Valley

the California

ar.9 puzps.

Edconston

that Tiiuc a

390 km of desert

plants,

according

to deliver

to the Central

approximately level

the water

State Water

completed

froa north

point,

of pmping

dams on the tributaries

in the world, canals

1950's

supplies.

KWD to cake water

puoping

vvies

nilis needed

The Califorria

tram-ported

the

of the

the aqueduct

In the course

California.

rating

kw and raising

enables

on the Colorado

in Southern

dams were

water

cu P per year across

from the intake

of several

soon after

develo_ment

increasing

in 1961,

reservoir

9,321

began

in the early

additional

requtre

was cccpleted

than 1,234 million

ranges,

Rrver Aqueduct

cu n per day.

The Colorado core

Colorado

of xii in 1926, and in 1941 the initial

through

(see Figure

4).

for

the State

ACRE-FEET

IO003

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

WATER COUNTY

NON LOCAL TO THE ORANGE

WATER

SUPPLY DISTRICT

SERVICE

DIRECT

IMPORTED

RIVER REPLENISHMENT

ANA

IMPORTED

SANTA

WATER

WATER

Groundwater In 1933 the Orange act of the California groundwaterbasin; (3) protecting

Orange

the coastalbasinof

the years

in lowered

severity

of depletion

groundwater halted

Even with

neet

intrusion. Factory

enable

Water

wastevater

treatnent

vastewater,

treats twice

activated

Extensive

of supply:

40

River when

its program

River

reuse

the water

plant.

over

table

first

groundwater water.

Use of

Project

for

and successfully

the threat

the District vith

the mst

34 nillion

facility

to

of seawater Hater

advanced

design

which,

combined,

cu IIIof high quality

Factory

in

water

is the advanced

takes secondary -da,

conventional

the District's supplies

has constructed

of four elements

of the Water

Tnis

supplies.

of additional

line and rezmves

through

ztnd

nultinedia

treated then

filters

filters;

second

- to recovedissolvedorganics.

that has received

to the world's

This syste3 vi11 produce

nonlccal

against

facility

conponent

carbon

it was

to ezpand

cu m of ir_mrted

the

recharging

and the State Water

development

21 consists

to inject

- first

condition.

of the basin.

these purposes

it with

cannot

Realizing

intrusion.

frcnz the Colorado

2.8 billion

however,

use of the groundwater

OCWD began

and to protect

Part of the water

with a very

since high decands

of additional

Factory

the District

is diverted

about

90 percent

source

has elevated

21, a wastewater

water

serves abzost

basin,

necessitated

needs

The a&or

through

over

inportation

annually.

the

people,

flow of the

a local

and seawater

OCUD began

destruction

To fulfill

the world.

levels

frcnn the Colorado

prograns

ezpanding

The District

and

ha overlying

County,

resources.

water

Since

replenishnent

seawater

nanagenent

considered

in the groundvater

it has utilized water

81,810

1926 and 1956 crea'k!d an overdraft

vater

inported

in 1949.

inported

the

and quantity;

and the natural

coaprisee

River-

the case in Orange

resulting

storage

rights

by an

(1) managing

of:

quality

land area and 1.5 aillion

from natural

the basin with

water

the District

is usually

this is not totally

available

(OCWD) was organized

total population.

Groundwater

between

District

for the purposes

thesanta-

of the county

of the county's

basin

County's

Currently

be replenished

Water

(2) conservinggroundvater

se.ntaanaRiver.

percent

County

Legislature

the activated

larges'c reverse

19,000

low salt content.

cu P per

The other

osmsis

day

carbon

treatment

(PC0 desalting

of very hfgh quality

two elements

of the Water

plant. mter Factory

481 are a group

of four deep wells

are 305 to 366 CI deep, seawater of

low

intrusion.

Each uell

dissolved

tatal

solids

advanced

waste

systels.

The 2: injection

allow

treatseot

the blended

aquifers

and 23 injection

penetrating

water

to retard

aquifers

In keeping

other

with

up to 221 l/see

(TDS) water

for blending

with

wells

for iojection

have

a total

alternative

enviromental greenbelt

21, which

injection: waters

vater

and projects

Wst Orange

which

to embark

projects

water

an

for

siatilar toWater

for grounduater

include

of the on several

include:

use rechimed

tvoplants

wastewater

could

philosophy

plans

Future will

irrigation:

Irrigation

County

isizinsnt of all proposed

County

thatuould

Irrigation

allow

project

would

provide

and greenbelts,aod

boiler

cooliog,washdown

of secondary

and Reuse

for eovironueotal

packs

effluent

tion, disinfection

desalting

projects

and

recharge

of either

brackish

for irrigation

Califoroia provide

Kealth

fertilizer

would

for irrigation

of parks

groundwater

wastewater. caeteries, industry

This

filtratreatment,

requiredbythe

nutrients

to the ~~4.

for

treatsent

only direct

system.

thatwould

Using

and greeobelts,uillraduce

ait ioPorteddomenticwater,

brafez supPlies.

regutie

safequads

value

treated

Advancedvaetewater

into a distribution

DepartmentoFthoutraumviag

significant

vith

of golf courses,

control.

of the

cu P per day system

use in the concrete

for this project

and pumping

System

is the wnstruction

irrigation

for limited and dust

and Reuse

Syste=l, a 57.030

alLtnoughlimited,wouldncetallhealth

water

and

PIMGFm45

aud pioneering

projects.

recycle which

poiots

in four separate

or seavater. Orange

This

SUPPLY

21. the District

system.

landscape uould

aumod

of seawater,

supply

irrigation

and park

Factory

Factory

RY and

into the barrier

of 81 injection

to form a hydraulic

the imaginative

of Water

the

of producing

F73TuRE CICUD UATER

development

The deep wells

unaffectedby

is capable

(Am?1 water

the influx

wells.

tha tare

reclaimed the demand

therebyconserviogbothpotable

cn

Seal Beach Reclamation Plant The vicinity of Water Factory 21 is not the only location where seawater intru+on presents a probiem. Approximately 25 miles north of the Water Factory, in the Alamitos Gap, GCWD and the far3Angeles County

Flood Control Dtatrict

hiiVe

built

the

Alar&toe Barrier Project to protect

the groundwater basins of central Los Angeles County and northweet OrangeCounty.

This project, in operation since 1965, incorporatesa

series of extraction and injection wells about two miles inland from the mouth of the San Gabriel River. Injection water is supplied from both the Colorado River end the State Water Project. The OCWD recently initiated studies to determine the feasibility of providing a plant similar to Water Factory 21 to produce water for injection into,the Alamitos Barrier system. This project, the Seal Beach Reclamation Plant, scald consist of primary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes to produce 7.8 million cu m per year of high quality wastewater for injection. Whereas the present barrier project depends on importedwaters , which are subject to curtailment during drought periods and disaster, a reclamation project would provide a firm supply not subject to such cutbacks.

Anaheim Forebay Reclamation Plant Groundwater provides more than 60 percent of the water used within the OCWD, and recharge of the groundwater basin with imported water is

essential to maintain the quantity of available water.

The quality

of

the groundwater is also significant. It has been deteriorating for many

years, through rep1enishmer.t *‘ithhigh 'SDS (750 mq/l) Colorado River water. Use of imported Colorado River water has resulted in an adverse salt balance, with an average accumulation of 100,000 tons per year. In order to reverse the trend of increasing salt accumulation, improve quality and provide an alternative supply for imported water, the Anaheim Porebay project has been conceived. This project would include diverting 47,000 cu m per day of raw municipal sewage to a conventional primary and activated sludge treatment plant. Secondary treated effluent would then receive advanced treatment by processes similar to those at Water Factory 21, including desalting. Brines and sludges would be disposea Into a Saline waste line to the ocean, currently under

construction. The high quality product water (less than 500 mg/l TDS) would then be available for recharge to adjacent spreading ponds or for other beneficial uses.

Corona

Desalter

The salt balance in the Orange County basin is also affected the discharge

by

of upstream wastes into the Santa Ana River. To alleviate

the massive discharge of salts into the river and subsequently into the Orange County basin, a large system is currently under constructionto intercept and transport the highly salt-laden wastes to the ocean from upstream dischargers. Other wastes, such as treated

municipal sewage,

will require additional treatment before discharge to the river in order to meet

the

mandated

regional goals. One project that has been examined

is the Corona Desalter.

The city of Corona, located just northeast of the Orange County line, discharges its wastes into the Santa Ana River.

Planners

are

examining several alternatives for meeting discharge requirements for that area. One of these alternatives is to treat the city wastes with conventional primary and secondary treatment, percolating part of the secondary effluent into the local groundwater basin.

The

remaining

effluent vould receive tertiary treatment, demineralizationand discharge to the Santa Ana River. This process would minimize cost

for

tertiary

treatment and demineralizationahd would also reduce the problem of risi:lgwater that would result from percolating all of the secondary effluent. oranqe Cour.tywould benefx't from this project by receiving water with low salt ccntent, thax Aproving

the quality of the river and

ultimately improvlr,q the salt balance ir.the Orange County basin.