IRWD and its Partners Improve Water Supply Reliability in South Orange County (CA) by Completing its 28-MGD Baker WTP

Construction of the 28 million gallon per day (mgd) Baker Water Treatment Plant (BWTP) will be completed in October 2016, allowing the Irvine Ranch Water District and its five partner agencies El Toro Water District (ETWD), Moulton Niguel (MNWD), San Margarita (SMWD), Trabuco Canyon Water District (TCWD), and Metropolitan Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) to significantly improve water supply reliability in South Orange County (CA). Project requirements also included BWTP to be a base? loaded facility, treating water at a rate of 28 million gallons per day, year round. Because of BWTP’s role in the region’s drinking water supply portfolio, it has been designed with a high level of redundancy and contains robust reliability features. The BWTP will use a membrane filtration system (MFS) to treat blends of Colorado River Water and State Project Water controlled from its raw water wholesaler, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), as well as a local surface water reservoir (Irvine Lake). These water supplies will require the plant to treat for natural organic matter (NOM), iron, and manganese depending on the water source. Process design included consideration of rapid changes in feed water qualities based on changing water sources to meet finished water quality goals, as well as providing the tools to address changing membrane performance. This manuscript will discuss the reliability features included in the facility to address the water quality and production challenges of the BWTP.

This presentation is available to AMTA Members only.