Welcome back to another installation of Coastkeeper Chronicles, an ongoing series commemorating some of our biggest water wins over the past 25 years. Head to our blog to read previous stories on our WHALES education program, campaign against Poseidon desalination, and more.
Today, we invite you to learn how a systemic change in local wastewater management led to a state-of-the-art water recycling project and a cleaner coastline.
Photo Credit: Black & Veatch
In the early 2000s, when our organization was just starting out, we discovered that Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) had plans to increase the amount of primary treated sewage discharged to the ocean and seek another five-year waiver from transitioning to full-secondary treatment, which is the nationwide standard.
What is primary and secondary sewage treatment? Primary treatment only removes solids, while secondary uses biological processes to purify wastewater, resulting in a much cleaner discharge out to the ocean. OC San’s plan to focus on primary treatment was a cost-cutting measure that would’ve been a step in the wrong direction for local water quality. We knew we had to step in.
As a young organization still making a name for ourselves locally, we sponsored meetings with OC San to learn more about the issue and get input from local activists. Dr. Jan Vandersloot, a distinguished environmental leader and co-founder of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, attended one of these meetings and was inspired to start the Ocean Outfall Group. This coalition was formed for the sole purpose of urging OC San to treat sewage to a higher level before discharging it into the ocean.
In 2002, in partnership with the Ocean Outfall Group, we pushed OC San to reverse course and transition to full-secondary treatment, resulting in a cleaner ocean discharge. After the historic 13-12 board vote, we continued to work alongside OC San and serve on advisory panels for bio-solids and construction timelines.
Despite initial resistance to transitioning to full-secondary, OC San leadership quickly realized this was the right decision and went a step further by constructing the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). The GWRS is now the world’s largest water purification facility for indirect potable reuse, transforming sewage into nearly distilled water. This water is put into the groundwater basin and pumped up again as our drinking water source. During its planning, construction, and early operational years, I served on the National Water Research Institute’s oversight panel for the project.
Before our involvement, OC San discharged 240 million gallons of minimally treated sewage into the ocean daily. It was predicted to be increased to 340 million gallons per day. Now, OC San discharges approximately 70 million gallons of secondary treated sewage into the ocean daily. The remaining treated sewage is redirected to Orange County Water District to be further treated by GWRS. This is a huge improvement!
Critical decisions impacting your waters are happening all the time, and we believe it’s our job to advocate on our community’s behalf. As a result of our advocacy and commitment to improving local water quality, our region now boasts full-secondary sewage treatment and a world-famous water recycling plant, which even set a Guinness World Record for the most recycled wastewater in 24 hours.
Thank you for joining me for another Coastkeeper Chronicles installment. If you’d like to learn more about our advocacy work, click here to visit this page.
Sincerely,
Garry Brown
Founder & President
