The Montecito Water District’s Strategic Planning Committee met Sept. 20 to review the draft Recycled Water Feasibility Study and discuss feasible projects.
According to Noozhawk, Woodard & Curran were hired to conduct the study, half of which was funded by a grant awarded to the district by the State Water Resources Control Board.
Board directors Robert Williams and Warner Owens and engineering manager Carrie Poytress represented the Montecito Sanitary District at the meeting. Members of the public attended, including candidates running for seats on the Water District and Sanitary Board in November.
Rob Morrow and Woodard & Curran gave a presentation to directors Richard Shaikewitz and Floyd Wicks, as well as district staff.
According to Noozhawk, wastewater is the source of recycled water, making collaboration with a wastewater entity essential for implementing any recycled water project.
“We are all working together in support of this,” said Turner. “The Sanitary District recently passed a resolution regarding their commitment to recycled water, I have attended their last two board meetings, and you can see their presence here today. It’s happening.”
The Urban Management Plan identifies recycled water as a long-term local reliable supply and commits the district to add 1,000 acre ft of this source to its annual water portfolio by 2025.
The study was a vital step in moving from discussions about recycled water to creating a plan. The study evaluated about 30 possibilities, identifying quantity, source and project type. The project types include Non-Potable Reuse (NPR), Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR), and Direct Potable Reuse (DPR).
Factors including cost, customer commitment, public acceptance, regulatory risk, potable water source to be offset, implementation flexibility and timeline, and integration with other future district waster plans are considerations for prioritizing a short list.
DPR lacks approved regulations in California, making NPR and IPR projects more certain and timely. The projects may be implemented with consideration of phases that could provide initially for NPR and/or IPR and DPR in the future.
The committee asked for several items in the study to be clarified. The draft report is expect go before the board at the Nov. 20 meeting.