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Discussion and action on purification of wastewater through the water treatment plants
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SUMMARY:
As brought up in the December 5th work session, Mayor Pro-Tem Graham brings forth the following:
“Scientific and medical advancements in late 1800’s have led to public health changes in early 1900’s for minimum services, including drinking water treatment and distribution, drainage, garbage collection, and sewer collection and treatment. All these have added nearly 30 years to life expectancies between 1900 and 2000. The average life expectancy was 47 in 1900 and rose to 77 in 2000.
In the suburbs of southern Los Angeles, a group of structures exists for water treatment facilities. Each day, 185 million gallons of raw sewage flows in, and eventually, treated water flows out. This water is nontoxic, but it’s also non-potable. This water used to pump through long pipes to be dispersed into the Pacific Ocean, but now more than half of the treated water goes next door to be treated by water district. It is strained through microscopic filters, then forced by reverse osmosis through super-fine membranes, then finally bombarded with super high-intensity ultraviolet light. What flows out of this facility is sufficient to meet the daily demands of roughly 850,000 people and is as pure as a sparkling glass of premium ice water. Pumping stations return it to the Orange County aquifer to percolate into wells for future drinking. The process costs less and consumes less energy than importing water from the Colorado River, or Watts Bar in our case.
It’s about technology, invention, and efficiency. I submit that a request be made of the City Manger to discuss these thoughts with appropriate engineers, and further to receive costs estimates for these alternatives, including permit application requirements.”
BUDGET ACCOUNT:
Recommended Action
NECESSARY COUNCIL ACTION: Authorize further discussion and research of process.