University of California Students Tour Upgraded Vallecitos Water District Facility

Vallecitos Water District (VWD) recently showcased its newly upgraded, 5 million gal per day (mgd) Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility to University of California, San Diego students.

Led by Darrell Gentry, class instructor and member of the VWD Board of Directors, the students toured the Carlsbad facility, getting a first-hand look at the multiple processes necessary to treat wastewater to tertiary level so it can be used for irrigation at various sites in Carlsbad.

With a price tag of $27.5 million, the plant upgrade included significant modifications to increase water-recycling capacity from 2.25 mgd to 5 mgd. Changes encompassed everything from energy and chemical efficiency to increasing the size of the overall plant.

Also part of the upgrade is a new control building for staff to accomplish their tasks with more ease and new machinery, featuring a new odor controlling mechanism based on forcing air through chemical scrubbers.

The overall result of increasing the output: less dependence on water imported from the Colorado River and Northern California.

Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility has been in operation since 1959. It has received many awards and accolades, including California Water Pollution Control Association’s “San Diego County Plant of the Year” in 1987, 1989 and 1994.

Source: Vallecitos Water District