Water Recycling Demonstration Project

Anaheim Public Utilities is always working to diversify Anaheim's water supply portfolio and to reduce dependence on imported water.

The proposed Water Recycling Demonstration facility will be located at the City Hall complex and we will be the first city in Southern California to develop a state-of-the-art decentralized recycling system that recycles wastewater at "satellite" treatment plants. Satellite plants are an effective strategy for recycling water in highly "built out" urbanized communities, like Anaheim. These satellite plants on a small scale will provide less disruption to existing land uses and to the public.

February 2010 the First phase of construction is expected to begin
Fall 2010 is the anticipated completion time

About the Facility

The Water Recycling Demonstration facility will consist of a 100,000 gallons per day capacity treatment facility, saving up to 35 million gallons a year of imported water. The facility would provide room for treatment, pumping, odor control system, and mechanical/electrical support equipment.

The Water Recycling Demonstration facility will treat wastewater taken from an existing sewer line in the vicinity of the City Hall complex to meet State reuse standards and provide recycled water for:

• Toilet & urinal flushing in City Hall West
• Landscape irrigation around City Hall
• Potential indoor and outdoor uses in nearby parks and future developments
• Potential irrigation in nearby parks and schools

With this demonstration project, Anaheim would be at the forefront of using smaller-scale technology to provide a safe water resource.

Benefits

• Educational Showpiece: The Water Recycling Demonstration facility includes an educational component about the water recycling facility and treatment process, which is essential to raising public awareness about our state's long-term drought and how we can lead by example for sustainable urban water management. Click Here for a view of the architectural rendering for the proposed facility. 
• Encouraging sustainable development: Developers utilizing the recycled water will be able to receive credit towards obtaining  Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Recycled water will build on Anaheim's successful conservation program, reducing dependence on imported water. Over the last twenty years, our conservation programs have effectively slowed the increase in water use in Anaheim; resulting in only a 7% increase in water use while the population rose 36%. Ultimately, recycling will further reduce even further our dependence on imported water.