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Water Reuse Municipal Water Reuse Done Right: Lessons In Efficiency California water reuse program provides multiple benefits, serving as a model for other municipalities. wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine 38 J ust to the north of San Francisco, where the shores of San Pablo Bay give way to the coastal hills and valleys that are home to California's premium wine country, a regional water reuse program is stretching limited drinking water supplies by utilizing the latest in treatment technologies to recycle the region's valuable water resources. Highly treated wastewater that is permitted for discharge into the bay is being reused for multiple benefits: to enhance wildlife habitat, protect groundwater, irrigate world-class vineyards, and keep parks and golf courses green. The North Bay Water Reuse Program (NBWRP) is a coordinated effort of three counties and seven water and sanitation agencies, work- ing together as one entity to address water supply shortages from a watershed perspective. The region is not immune from the water scarcity issues that persist throughout the arid west: The North Bay coun- ties of Sonoma, Napa, and Marin face long-term water supply challenges. Surface and groundwater supplies are stretched to their limit. Some groundwater sourc- es are over-pumped and threatened with seawater intrusion. A reliable supply of recycled water not only offsets limited potable water, but provides a variety of benefits that support the area's quality of life. From its inception, the NBWRP has approached water recycling by providing multiple benefits for multiple end users and has planned for treatment, storage, and distribu- tion projects that meet the broadest needs of its members. An example of a multiple-benefits project is the recent construction of a pipeline that serves high-value, wine- grape growers on the way to providing water for wetlands and riparian habitats. By using this multiple-benefit approach, the NBWRP is able to offset urban and agricultural demands on potable supplies and impacted groundwater basins, enhance local and regional ecosystems, improve local and regional water supply reliability, maintain and protect public health and safety, promote sustainable practices, give top priority to local needs for recycled water, and implement facilities in an economically viable manner. A key to the success of the program is the support of both state and federal agencies. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has been a partner in developing the recy- cled water program. The State of California is also a part- ner, and the NBWRP's watershed approach is consistent with their Integrated Water Resources Planning program. When the NBWRP was undertaken in 2001, it was envi- sioned as a two-phase program. Phase 1 is 65 percent com- plete and valued at $104 million. Phase 1 provides 3,800 acre-feet/year (AFY) of water for irrigation and up to 1,700 AFY for envi- ronmental restoration. This includes 46 miles of pipe- line, 100 AFY of storage, and 6.5 MGD of new ter- tiary treatment. Phase 2 is in the planning stage and is estimated at $150 million in projects, which will build on the Phase 1 infrastructure by increas- ing storage, distribution, and groundwater manage- ment. When fully imple- mented, the program will yield 33,000 AFY of recycled water. Treatment Technologies And Partnerships Recycled water produced by NBWRP projects meets or exceeds the standards established by the State of California Department of Health Title 22 Code of Regulations and is approved for use in a variety of applications, including irrigation of food crops, parks and playgrounds, school yards, and residential landscaping. The treatment process and the technologies utilized are determined by each agency, depending on their needs and the end user. The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) com- pleted a new advanced Recycled Water Facility in 2012. By Barry Dugan As part of the NBWRP, the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District completed this reservoir storage project that provides storage of up to 100 acre-feet of water that can be used on a year-round basis by grape growers. 3 8 _ V E R T _ 0 2 1 4 E Z i n e _ M B W R P _ D G . i n d d 1 38_VERT_0214 EZine_MBWRP_DG.indd 1 1 / 3 1 / 2 0 1 4 1 : 2 1 : 0 3 P M 1/31/2014 1:21:03 PM