June 23, 2008
CITY SAVES OVER 2 BILLION GALLONS
THROUGH WATER RECYCLING
EXPANDING ‘PURPLE PIPE’ TO VALLEY GENERATING STATION
REPLACES WATER FOR 14,400 HOUSEHOLDS
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles officials turned on the spigot today to begin supplying recycled water to the Valley Generating Station to use in its cooling process. By connecting the Valley power plant to the City’s “purple pipe” network, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) will save about 684 million gallons of purified and treated water per year–enough drinking water for up to 4,200 households,
In addition, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) also announced that recycled water is now being supplied to Balbao and Encino Golf Courses for landscape irrigation. Altogether, the City’s total use of recycled water is up to 7,200 acre-feet per year for irrigation and industrial uses, as a barrier to seawater intrusion, and for environmental beneficial uses. This saves over 2 billion gallons of treated and purified drinking water for up to14,400 households per year.
“LA’s future depends on our willingness to adopt an ethic of sustainability. That is why we have committed ourselves to recycling and conserving enough water to meet all new demand. And, today, we are taking another step forward to keep our pipes running for years to come,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
In May, the Mayor, City and LADWP officials unveiled the City of Los Angeles Water Supply Action Plan, “Securing L.A.’s Water Supply,” which pledged to meet all new demand for water – about 100,000 acre-feet per year (AFY) by 2030 – through water conservation and recycling rather than importing any additional new water.
“California is facing a drought, and the millions of gallons of water saved by this program will ensure we have a steady water supply in the hot summer months.,” said Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who sits on the Council Energy & Environment Committee. “With the effects of global warming obvious to everyone, it is clear that now more than ever we must implement our sustainable, Citywide water conservation plan to cope with rising temperatures and a shrinking water supply.”
“This is an excellent example of how the City must practice good consciousness and conservation, especially with the threat of dwindling water supplies,” said Councilmember Tony Cardenas, whose 6th District includes the Valley Generating Station.
LADWP CEO & General Manager David Nahai said the need to develop sustainable water resources is critical given the drought conditions declared throughout California, uncertain future snow and rainfall levels, and environmental commitments that limit availability of importing water from traditional sources in Northern California and the Eastern Sierra and Owens Valley.
“We are aggressively working to expand recycled water for irrigation, industrial and other nonpotable uses,” Nahai said. “Today we are increasing recycled water in the City by 60% with the advent of Valley Generating Station, Balboa and Encino Golf Courses coming online.” Last year, LADWP connected Woodley Golf Course to recycled water for irrigation.
Nick Patsaouras, president of the LADWP Board of Commissioners, said: “This project allows the City to save millions of gallons of drinking water for the people of Los Angeles. We are re-using this water in a safe, reliable, economically feasible and environmentally sensitive way to augment the City’s water supply.”
Recycled water is wastewater treated to a high degree to meet regulatory water quality standards through removal of solids, filtration and disinfection. All recycled water in Los Angeles undergoes treatment and disinfection to the tertiary level, and meets stringent water quality standards set by the State Department of Public Health.
Valley Generating Station and the golf courses in the Sepulveda Basin are using recycled water that has been treated at the Donald C. Tillman Reclamation Plant. The Tillman Plant treats wastewater to the tertiary level and pipes it to the Balboa Pump Station built on site. The treated water travels through 10.2 miles of purple pipes (the pipes are painted purple to differentiate them from pipes that carry potable water) to the seven-million gallon Hansen Tank, a $12 million holding tank completed in December 2007.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was established more than 100 years ago to provide a reliable and safe water and electric supply to the City of Los Angeles residents and businesses. The LADWP serves approximately 1.4 million electric customers and 680,000 water service customers. For more information, log on to http://www.ladwp.com/.
