Meeting Criteria for Water and Wastewater Systems Simultaneously Using Reverse Osmosis and Zero Liquid Discharge Technology

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has taken steps to improve the water supply system for the Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI) in Tracy, CA. In the past, the Institution supplied potable water to the facility from four slightly brackish groundwater wells. The groundwater has a TDS concentration of 1,150 to 2,200 mg/L, and has high concentrations of dissolved iron and manganese. Additionally, the elevated TDS in the drinking water supply led to the issuance of a cease and desist order from the Regional Water Quality Control Board due to elevated TDS in the effluent from the DVI wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). A water system upgrade study in 2003 eliminated all alternative sources of supply and identified reverse osmosis (RO) as the most appropriate technology for improving the quality of the Institution’s potable water. As part of the water system upgrade study in 2003, all disposal options for the RO concentrate were eliminated except for zero liquid discharge using a vapor compression brine concentrator and evaporation ponds. The facility was commissioned in May of 2009 and, at the time of this publication, represents the only RO/ZLD system using this combination of technologies for municipal drinking water production. The facility has been operating successfully.

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