Wastewater Made Clear By Jennifer Poland
Water District is working hard toward the completion of the Wastewater Reclamation Project so that we can continue to enjoy a safe and reliable local water supply.
“Why do we need a Wastewater Reclamation Facility?” With the Earth’s population increasing rapidly, water has become the most valuable resource that we humans need to survive. There are areas in the world where people have to haul water for four hours or even sacrifice their lives just for the sake of having water. We are fortunate enough to turn on a faucet in the morning and fill our coffee pot, so we can savor our favorite cup of Joe. I don’t know about you, but it’s scary to think that one morning I could wake up, there would be no water, and I’d have to haul the water for four hours just for my husband to make my morning coffee. Having a safe and reliable water supply that flows out of our faucets is a luxury that we take for granted.
The CRWQCB is monitoring progress of the Wastewater Reclamation Project. If the project is not completed or at least showing substantial progress toward completion by 2016, the CRWQCB is prepared to step in and enforce their Septic Tank Prohibition. The penalties for non-compliance with the prohibition include daily fines to property owners, and a requirement to pump our septic tanks often, and property owners will be footing that bill. Can you imagine drinking your coffee with high levels of nitrates, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants? I don’t think so! The CRWQCB and the HiDesert Water District want us to continue to have safe and reliable water to consume for future generations to come. So when you wake up tomorrow morning and think about how you can’t live without coffee, just remember you certainly can’t survive without clean water.
The “Wastewater Made Clear” column will appear monthly in the Hi-Desert Star’s first The California Regional Water Saturday paper. http:// Quality Control Board www.hdwd.com (CRWQCB), is the State agency that regulates and enforces laws making sure that Californians have enough safe water for our daily needs. They have made Yucca Valley a top priority for eliminating septic systems by 2016, because the septic tanks in our community are polluting our water supply with nitrates which can be dangerous for human consumption. Hi-Desert PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Wastewater made clear By Jennifer Poland
“How does Wastewater Reclamation work?” Over the past four decades the terms, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” have become very familiar to us. After consuming our favorite soda, we are now programmed to toss the empty can into the nearest recycle bin to be recycled. By recycling that can, we hold a sense of fulfillment that we have contributed to saving our planet. But the process of saving Earth doesn’t end at the recycling bin, it only begins. The used items are sent to a facility where they are separated and dispersed to manufacturers that process these items and create new objects we reuse every day. The Wastewater Reclamation Process is similar to this recycling process, in that wastewater can be collected, treated, and reused. Currently, when you flush your toilet or drain your tub, wastewater travels through plumbing into your septic system. When the Wastewater Reclamation Facility is constructed, wastewater will no longer flow to your septic system, but rather to a network of pipes known as a collection system. A collection system consists of laterals, which convey wastewater from private property to sewer mains which then convey the wastewater to larger pipes known as trunk sewers. The wastewater will travel through the trunk sewers to the
Wastewater Reclamation Facility south of Home Depot, where the process of water reclamation occurs. The wastewater will go through multiple processes before it is ready for use again. Once the wastewater arrives at the facility, it is treated through preliminary treatment consisting of screening and grit removal where large particles, rocks and sand are removed. It then passes through secondary treatment which includes extended aeration basins and secondary clarifiers to remove smaller solids. The solids removed from the wastewater are collected for disposal, making the water clearer. The final treatment process (tertiary treatment) includes filtration and disinfection such as Ultraviolet light to remove viruses and bacteria from the water. Once treatment is complete, it is discharged into two recharge ponds on site and percolated through the ground back into the groundwater basin. Percolation through the ground adds another layer of natural filtration before the water is added to our 32 years’ worth (97,596 acre-feet) of water reserves in the Warren Groundwater Basin. Not only will this provide a safe and reliable water supply for generations, but you will be reusing Earth’s freshwater supply! The “Wastewater Made Clear” column will appear monthly in the Hi-Desert Star’s first Saturday paper. http:// www.hdwd.com
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