Municipal Water Leader November/December 2017

Volume 3 Issue 10

Breaking Down Minute 323 With U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Regional Director

Dr. Terry Fulp

November/December 2017

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BREAKING DOWN MINUTE 323 WITH U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION LOWER COLORADO REGIONAL DIRECTOR DR. TERRY FULP

Contents

November/December 2017 Volume 3, Issue 10 5 Maximizing a Limited Resource: A Look at Colorado River Management

By Kris Polly 6 Breaking Down Minute 323 With U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Regional Director Dr. Terry Fulp

16 Colorado Water in the Coachella Valley: A Conversation With John Powell Jr. of the Coachella Valley Water District 4

THE INNOVATORS 26 Reducing Biosolids in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Case Study 28 A Sustainable Blend: Water Recycling on the Fairways of the Pasatiempo Golf Club 34 Aquabotix Portable Underwater Vehicles

CIRCULATION: Municipal Water Leader is distributed to irrigation district managers and boards of directors in the 17 western states, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials, members of Congress and committee staff, and advertising sponsors.

Please send address corrections or additions to Municipal.Water.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Copyright Š 2017 Water Strategies LLC. Municipal Water Leader relies on the excellent contributions of a variety of natural resources professionals who provide content for the magazine. However, the views and opinions expressed by these contributors are solely those of the original contributor and do not necessarily represent or reflect the policies or positions of Municipal Water Leader magazine, its editors, or Water Strategies LLC. The acceptance and use of advertisements in Municipal Water Leader do not constitute a representation or warranty by Water Strategies LLC or Municipal Water Leader magazine regarding the products, services, claims, or companies advertised.

MuniWaterLeader

COVER PHOTO: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Regional Director Dr. Terry Fulp MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.

12 The Colorado River: Crucial to Southern California's Prosperity

By Bill Hasencamp

22 Rowland Water District Recognized for Innovative Disabled Jobs Program

ADVERTISING: Municipal Water Leader accepts one-quarter, half-page, and full-page ads. For more information on rates and placement, please contact Kris Polly at (703) 517-3962 or Municipal.Water.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Maximizing a Limited Resource: A Look at Colorado River Management

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n this issue of Municipal Water Leader, we share some stories about the lifeblood of the Southwest, the Colorado River. Millions of lives spanning two countries and seven states depend of the successful management of the river’s waters. Water managers on the river work within a complex web of rights, agreements, and shared responsibilities within the greater framework of the Law of the River.

Dr. Terry Fulp lives and breathes the Colorado River.

As the Lower Colorado Regional Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, he carries out the secretary of the Interior's role as watermaster of the Lower Colorado River, ensuring the delivery of 9 million acre-feet of water and the generation of 6 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric energy. That is no small feat.

In our cover interview, Dr. Fulp discusses the latest management efforts to enhance supply and conservation on the Colorado River through the negotiation and development of Minute 323 to the Treaty of February 3, 1944. Minute 323 continues the spirit of agreement among the basin states, the United States, and Mexico to, as Dr. Fulp describes it, “share the gain of high-flow years and share the pain of low-flow years.”

In addition, Bill Hasencamp, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s manager of Colorado River Resources, discusses the critical role the river plays in the supply portfolio of his district and his state. He describes it as “the backbone.” Metropolitan, however, has not rested on its allotment of Colorado River water.

Over the years, the district has implemented creative management strategies to maximize that allotment.

JANUARY 4–5, 2018

By Kris Polly

Through partnerships and collaboration, the district has been able to leverage that supply to help guide its customers through times of serious drought.

We also speak to John Powell Jr., the president of the board of directors of the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), about the value of the imported Colorado River water to the Coachella Valley. Across hundreds of miles, via the All-American and Coachella Canals, the river’s waters breathe life into the arid valley and support domestic deliveries, agricultural production, and aquifer recharge. To ensure those benefits, CVWD works with other entities reliant on the river. Mr. Powell says it best, “All of us who are dependent on the river have worked together to address drought contingency planning and make sure we are able to continue providing our customers with this precious resource.”

We hope this issue conveys a small sense of not only the enormous responsibility that water managers on the Colorado face, but also the collaboration and creativity involved with maximizing the health and economic benefits of the river. M

Kris Polly is editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and president of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at Kris.Polly@waterstrategies.com.

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Breaking Down Minute 323 With U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Regional Director Dr. Terry Fulp Since the ratification of the Treaty of February 3, 1944, which provides the framework for the use of Colorado River water between Mexico and the United States, the two countries have implemented the treaty through a series of agreements (known as minutes), effected by the U.S. and Mexican sections of the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC).

The IBWC recently finalized Minute 323, which is designed to enhance conservation and water efficiency on the Colorado for the next decade.

Dr. Terry Fulp is the Lower Colorado regional director at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and has been actively involved in furthering cross-border cooperation over the past 10 years.

Dr. Fulp spoke with Municipal Water Leader’s senior writer, John Crotty, to discuss the history of cross-border cooperation on the Colorado River, the agreements that are currently being implemented, and how such efforts will benefit water users in both Mexico and the United States.

John Crotty: Please describe the conservation and storage management regimes under Minute 323.

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John Crotty: What role did Colorado River water providers play in this process?

Terry Fulp: These agreements are important to both agricultural and municipal water users, and the agencies underscored this with their willingness to provide the upfront money for projects in Mexico in exchange for MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.

Terry Fulp: Before getting into some of that detail, perhaps a bit of background might be helpful to understand the progression of our relationship and cross-border cooperation with Mexico, including the development of conservation and storage concepts.

Since 2007, Reclamation has been actively involved with Mexico through the IBWC in developing new water management strategies for not only the short term, but also looking toward the long-term sustainability of the basin.

Our first agreement to include storage for Mexico was Minute 318, which was signed in 2010, with a duration through 2013. Mexico suffered a devastating earthquake in 2010 and did not have the ability to take all its annual allotment, so we entered into an agreement to allow Mexico to leave the water in Lake Mead and access it later. Although we were already at the time exploring potential cooperative actions to help both countries address future water supply challenges on the basin, including the possibility of allowing Mexico to use U.S. infrastructure to store water, I think seizing that opportunity at that time to help Mexico was paramount to furthering our collaborative relationship.

Minute 319, signed in 2012 with a duration through 2017, expanded the concept of Mexico storing water in the United States. Under 319, Mexico could reduce its delivery in a given year through conservation activities and store the conserved water for use at a later time. An investment mechanism was also established to allow water districts in each of the lower Colorado River states to put up money to help Mexico conserve water in exchange for some of the conserved water. Minute 323 continues those activities.

I would just point out that this incremental approach through a series of minutes is really a pilot type of approach, allowing us to test concepts through actual implementation experience and to learn what works, what doesn’t, and what needs refinement. Minute 319 took us through 2017, and now, Minute 323 will take us through 2026. Over the next few years, we’ll need to focus on what strategies will be needed post-2026.

ABOVE: The 1,450-mile Colorado River flows through seven western states.

some of the conserved water in Minute 319. Under Minute 323, we expect a wider range of financial partners, including some irrigation districts. I would also say that our U.S. partners have been proactively involved in all these negotiations and see the need to continue this collaborative approach with Mexico, particularly given the pressures in both countries on the water supply and water demand side.

The benefits of conservation projects are long lasting, and Mexico will see those benefits for many years. The exchange of water also makes it a reasonable financial investment for the districts. It’s really a win-win for all sides. Over the next few years, it will be critical for Mexico to implement projects that will not only conserve water, but that will also further our understanding of the exchange mechanisms, which will help us prepare for the next round of negotiations. By the time we hit those negotiations, we should also know more about the future water situation in the basin than we did 10 or even 5 years ago.

John Crotty: What has Reclamation’s role been in implementing these projects?

Terry Fulp: Reclamation is the operator of the U.S. water storage systems through the secretary of the Interior’s authority. Simply put, we deliver water to the users on MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

LEFT: The domestic component of the Minute 323 signing ceremony in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with representatives from the Colorado River basin states, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Dr. Fulp is standing on the far right.

the U.S. side and ensure that delivery to Mexico is met at the border. More importantly, we have also become close partners with the IBWC. We have essentially no water rights of our own in the Lower Basin, so we work hand in hand with our water districts, as they must ensure any agreements we reach will work for them as well. I believe Reclamation’s role is one of facilitator, honest broker of information, and system operator, critical to making it all work. I also think we have a tight-knit partnership among the IBWC, the water districts, and Reclamation, and it will be extremely important to continue that in the future.

John Crotty: What are the significant provisions for water conservation and storage management under Minute 323?

Terry Fulp: Minute 323 actually goes beyond just conservation and storage management; it is an expansion of several ideas that were first put forth under Minute 319.

When Lake Mead’s levels are high enough, we want both countries to share in the water surplus. We have not yet realized that goal due to the ongoing drought, but we have the mechanism in place to do so. On the flip side, the minute will ensure that both countries share in reductions of water when Lake Mead is low. I like to say that we

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Mexico Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission Roberto Salmon (left) and the United States Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission Edward Drusina (right) at the Minute 323 signing ceremony September 27, 2017.

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MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

agreed “to share the gain of high-flow years and share the pain of low-flow years.”

Another goal is to continue to support and coordinate environmental projects in Mexico, which is also a continuation of work done under Minute 319. Both federal governments and numerous nongovernmental organizations have agreed to continue this collaboration.

Another key aspect of the agreement is the implementation of measures to address salinity. That issue was first addressed in the 1970s under Minute 242, and in Minute 323, we reaffirm our commitment to complying with those provisions, increasing our measuring and monitoring capabilities, and looking for additional ways to improve operations to reduce salinity impacts.

A final key component of Minute 323 is a binational water scarcity contingency plan, which is what we refer to in the United States as a drought contingency plan, or DCP. Under the plan, when we put our Lower Basin DCP into effect, hopefully in 2018, Minute 323 will also trigger Mexico’s scarcity plan to undertake similar water savings in tandem with us.

John Crotty: How are all these elements going to affect the large U.S. water suppliers that rely on the Colorado River for supply?

Terry Fulp: Water suppliers in the United States won’t see changes to their deliveries unless they specifically agree to participate in some of the conservation efforts with Mexico.

That said, I think the larger districts are very interested in exploring potential opportunities with Mexico on both the water supply and demand sides, and the minute sets up the framework to support those explorations.

John Crotty: How does Minute 323 fit into the long-term water management of the Colorado River? Is the agreement indicative of how the countries want to move forward on managing the river?

Terry Fulp: I believe it is absolutely indicative of the approach that both countries are committed to continue.

As I mentioned before, we would not have Minute 323 without Minutes 319, 318, and on down the line. If we go forward with that approach, learning each step of the way, we can continue to build on the progress we have made so far. We’re fortunate in both countries to have capable and dedicated people who firmly believe in this approach, and we’ll need to continue to bring along new people on both sides who fully buy into it.

There will be more-difficult questions to answer going forward, especially if this trend toward lower flows in the river continues. Long-term sustainability needs to be a major part of our focus in the next round of negotiations, and continuing our collective view that we’re all in this together is critical to finding ways to ensure the sustainability of the river for all who depend on it. M MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

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The Colorado River: Crucial to Southern California’s Prosperity

By Bill Hasencamp

T

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largest agricultural-to-urban water transfers in the nation. Metropolitan and one of its member public agencies—the San Diego County Water Authority—partnered with the Imperial Irrigation District to conserve water; the state of California provided funding to line the All-American and Coachella canals; and Metropolitan paid farmers in Palo Verde Valley to fallow some of their lands. All the water conserved by these programs was transferred into Metropolitan’s service area, helping offset a portion of the water that the district lost in 2003.

The transfers, however, were not enough to fill the Colorado River Aqueduct. In 2007, Metropolitan worked with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to develop a new program to store conserved water in Lake Mead for later delivery, known as the Intentionally Created Surplus program, or ICS. Using available ICS supplies in Lake Mead has been critical to being able to fill the Colorado River Aqueduct when needed.

In additional to the in-state transfers, Metropolitan partnered with the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Central Arizona Project to develop new supplies over the last decade. In 2008, the agencies funded construction of Brock Reservoir, adjacent to the All-American Canal MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLICKR/U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AND BILL HASENCAMP.

he Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was formed in 1928 to build a water lifeline from the Colorado River to the Southland’s coastal plain.

In 1941, construction on Metropolitan’s 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct was completed and water deliveries began, fueling Southern California’s development over the last 7 decades.

The Colorado River supplies are especially critical during times of drought, when in-state supplies from Northern California are reduced or curtailed and Metropolitan relies on the Colorado River to make up for those reductions. The importance of that supply was evident during the recent record-breaking California drought, when in 2014 only 100,000 acre-feet of water was available to Metropolitan from the State Water Project. That year, the Colorado River Aqueduct delivered a full CALIFORNIA 1.2 million acre-feet—12 times the supply from Northern California— significantly reducing drought effects to Southern California.

Filling the Colorado River Metropolitan Water District Aqueduct has become more challenging since 2003. In prior years, California was able to access 800,000 acre-feet more than its basic annual apportionment of 4.4 million acre-feet by diverting water that Arizona and Nevada were entitled to use but did not need. From the 1950s through 2002, Metropolitan was able to fill its aqueduct with other states’ unused water. But around the turn of the century, Arizona and Nevada began to maximize their Colorado River deliveries, and California has had to live within its 4.4 million acre-foot allotment. Because Metropolitan holds the junior water right position within California, the cutback fell squarely on urban Southern California.

Southern California responded to the loss of that Colorado River water in two ways—by ramping up conservation efforts and local resource projects to lessen the demand for Colorado River water and by implementing the

Sunrise over the Colorado River near Blythe, California.

in Imperial County near the Mexican border, to capture water that would otherwise be lost from the system. As water is released from upstream reservoirs, the reservoir captures and stores water that was released into the system but not used downstream. In 2010, the agencies also funded operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant, which treats brackish agricultural drainage for delivery to Mexico, offsetting releases from Lake Mead. In 2012 and 2017, through Minutes 319 and 323 to the International Water Treaty with Mexico, the agencies funded agricultural conservation activities in Mexico, with the conserved water being made available to both Mexico and the project funders. These cooperative activities have secured additional supplies to help bolster Colorado River Aqueduct deliveries.

While Metropolitan has adaptively managed its Colorado River supplies to meet the region’s needs, there are still challenges that need to be addressed for continued success. Because Metropolitan holds the lowest-priority water right in California, any increase in water use by higher-priority users directly affects the amount of water available to the district. In recent years, higher-priority water use has increased, cutting into Metropolitan’s basic supply.

To help address this problem, in 2015 Metropolitan purchased 12,000 acres of farmland in the Palo Verde Valley, bringing the district’s total land holdings to more MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

than 20,000 acres—about 20 percent of valley’s farmland.

The land was purchased to determine whether farmers could be incentivized to use more efficient water practices to grow crops. In 2017, new farm leases were executed whereby farmers’ rental payments are about 40 percent lower if they use 30 percent less water than historic practices. Metropolitan hopes these new lease arrangements will serve as a successful model for encouraging efficient water use while protecting the area’s agricultural economy.

Another challenge facing Metropolitan, and all users of Colorado River water, is the realization that the demands on the Colorado River exceed supplies, particularly as climate change exacerbates the supply and demand gap.

Since California has a higher-priority water right than Arizona and Nevada, Metropolitan is insulated from any initial shortage declaration. If conditions worsen, however, California would have to further reduce deliveries.

In addition, current rules do not allow Metropolitan to recover stored water from Lake Mead when other states are experiencing shortages, making it difficult for the agency to meet its water management goals. To address these issues, Metropolitan is working with agencies in the Lower Colorado River basin to develop a drought contingency plan to help keep Lake Mead from reaching critically low water levels that could trigger curtailments to California.

The plan would provide all agencies with incentives to store water in Lake Mead to slow or even stop its declining levels. The plan also provides agencies with flexibility to recover stored water even during shortages, helping Metropolitan effectively manage its Colorado River supplies. The agencies are looking to complete the plan in early 2018.

The Colorado River has been Southern California’s backbone supply for three-quarters of a century.

Metropolitan has successfully managed river supplies to meet the region’s needs as conditions have changed and continue to change. The success is a result of collaboration with its partners in California, other states, and Mexico that has enabled Metropolitan to maximize Colorado River deliveries in the face of the driest 17-year period in the river’s history. Through adaptive management and creative partnerships with shared benefits, Metropolitan is able to facilitate programs that bring stability to an ever-changing resource. M

Bill Hasencamp is the manager of Colorado River Resources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

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A Conversation With John Powell Jr. of the Coachella Valley Water District 16

Kris Polly: Please provide some background and history of the district.

John Powell: Our roots trace back to the need to find a sustainable water supply for the Coachella Valley. We are blessed with a massive aquifer, and we are able to use it for a variety of things, including all our domestic water. The aquifer was also used for farming in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, the natural rate of recharge for that aquifer is not high, which led farmers in the eastern part of the valley to search for a way to make their water supply sustainable. They turned to imported MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COACHELLA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT.

Colorado Water in the Coachella Valley:

Aquifers need to be recharged to preserve land, provide a reserve for use in drought years, and ensure the long-term sustainability of water supplies going forward. The Coachella Valley Water District is committed to doing precisely that, and its efforts have allowed for expanded residential and agricultural growth in the valley. John Powell, president of the Coachella Valley Water District board of directors, spoke with Municipal Water Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, about the history of importing Colorado River water into the Coachella Valley and how the district’s communities have benefitted from this policy.

ABOVE: John Powell, president of the Coachella Valley Water District Board of Directors.

LEFT: Wildflowers along the 123-mile Coachella Canal.

CALIFORNIA

Coachella Valley Water District

water from the Colorado River.

Water flows from the river to us and is distributed by gravity. We do not have to pump water to get it to most of our farms in the Coachella Valley. The river water is our main source, but we still have the ability to use groundwater. Using imported water has prevented overdrafting of the aquifer and has even yielded a positive balance for our groundwater.

Kris Polly: Does the Coachella Valley Water District provide drinking water as well?

John Powell: Yes. We provide a number of services, including domestic potable water. We are not just using Colorado River water for agricultural irrigation; we also use it to replenish our aquifer at three different locations in the Coachella Valley. All our domestic water is well water from the aquifer. As the river water percolates, it goes through a natural filtration process that is very effective.

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

Kris Polly: How much water goes into the ponds, and how long does it take to percolate?

John Powell: We put in about 35,000 acre-feet per year at our Thomas E. Levy facility, and it percolates about 2 feet per day. We have to rotate use of the ponds in order to maintain them and keep the percolation rates high. The ponds are drained and desilted regularly.

We also have ponds at two facilities in the western part of the valley that were originally used to capture and percolate stormwater at the time of the district’s founding.

The water percolated there now is from our State Water Project rights. Without a direct connection to that system, we have an exchange agreement with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, so the water that physically goes into the ponds is Colorado River water. We also do some advance delivery with Metropolitan; in wet years we will get more, but in dry years, we will get little or no water delivery. The amount of water delivered this year will be

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more than 300,000 acre-feet, a new record. The ability to weather both these high and low water years gives us a lot of flexibility.

Kris Polly: Are there any estimates of the aquifer’s total storage capacity?

This reduces how much groundwater the courses have to use and further reduces the strain on the aquifer.

Kris Polly: How much of your wastewater do you recycle?

John Powell: Almost all of it. There are John Powell: We know the top 1,000 some operational issues, but our goal is feet can store approximately 39 million to recycle all of it. We are not recycling acre-feet and that it also goes much at one of our plants in the east end of deeper than that. For a the valley, but we hope to small area like ours, that in the future. We actually “All of us who is impressive. get oversubscribed in are dependent the hot summer because on the river have Kris Polly: How would of increased demand you describe the quality from the golf courses. worked together of the Colorado River to address drought Colorado River water water that comes into helps us make up for that contingency the Coachella Valley, shortfall as well. planning and make and how might it offset sure we are able to Kris Polly: How much of some of the groundwater continue providing an economic effect does supplies there? the water you provide our customers John Powell: Most of the have on the valley? with this precious Colorado River water resource.” we import to the east John Powell: The latest valley is for agricultural —JOHN POWELL agricultural value for irrigation. It does have the Coachella Valley a salt load to it, and we is approximately $750 manage that. Most of the farmland in million per year, which is significant. the valley has underground tile drains Agriculture produces a lot of jobs here the farmers have installed at their own and is the second-biggest pillar of the expense. The water is collected under economy, aside from golf and tourism. the fields, and most of it finds its way out to the Salton Sea. Managing and Kris Polly: What is your message to keeping the salt out of the soil is an Congress and the administration about important part of our work. what you are doing here in the valley?

Kris Polly: How would you quantify your service area?

John Powell: We have 65,000 agricultural acres and 105,000–110,000 domestic meters.

Besides delivering water to farms and percolating into the ground, we are also delivering water to other users, like golf courses. We have built facilities such as the Mid-Valley Pipeline to take Colorado River water to the middle of the valley and to golf courses there. Much of that water is blended with recycled wastewater, which is another service we provide.

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John Powell: The best thing they can do is enable the good work that is already going on here. I have seen agencies from California, the other Colorado River basin states, and even Mexico cooperate effectively on issues like Minute 323 to share this limited water resource. All of us who are dependent on the river have worked together to address drought contingency planning and make sure we are able to continue providing our customers with this precious resource.

I would hope Congress and the administration would let us continue that work. M MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

Construction of the Avenue 50 bridge across the Coachella Canal, Indio, California.

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

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OPARC participants complete a hydrant improvement project in Rowland Heights, California.

Rowland Water District Recognized for Innovative Disabled Jobs Program The agency’s fire hydrant painting initiative wins prestigious ‘Best in Blue’ industry award

By Janet Zimmerman and Leah Curatalo

R

owland Water District has long been a strong, supportive presence in the area it serves in southeastern Los Angeles County, from sponsoring water education programs to manning a float in the community’s annual Buckboard Days Parade.

In early 2016, however, the district set course on a different approach to community outreach.

With the goal of inspiring the community and sharing the value of water, Rowland Water launched a first-of-its-kind jobs program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who often do not have access to paid work because of a lack of opportunities.

The district hired four individuals through the nonprofit OPARC organization to paint fire hydrants around its 17-square-mile service area. The job pays $15 per hour, more than twice what the participants would receive from government subsidies, and nearly $5 more than the current

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California minimum wage. In 1 year, the OPARC workers repainted more than 1,000 hydrants.

“The district saw this as an opportunity to directly and positively enhance the lives of individuals with special needs by providing them with professional development opportunities and to raise awareness of the many challenges they face,” said Szu Pei Lu-Yang, president of Rowland Water District’s board of directors.

On November 29, Rowland Water’s program was named winner of the 2017 Huell Howser Best in Blue Award from ACWA, the Association of California Water Agencies, at its Fall Conference and Exhibition in Anaheim. The honor recognizes outstanding achievements by public water agencies for innovative communications or outreach campaigns.

“The program not only gave participants a sense of achievement and pride in their work, it nurtured a MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

The program involves repainting dull, chipped fire hydrants throughout the district’s service area.

remarkable spirit of community within the district and region,” General Manager Tom Coleman said. “We are honored to be recognized with this award.”

The program helped Rowland Water meet its strategic communication goals of prioritizing opportunities to benefit all partners, broadening the definition of community through additional outreach, and creating internal messaging that enhances staff morale and experiences.

The program began as the district pondered how to make real, measurable improvements in its service area. With OPARC, Rowland Water was able to provide people with disabilities the opportunity to become more integrated in the communities it serves—Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Industry, and West Covina.

OPARC, which is based in Montclair, California, is one of the largest providers of services through Regional Centers, a state-sponsored network serving persons with developmental disabilities. The organization serves more than 800 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Southern California and has had remarkable success in training and finding jobs for participants.

“It’s difficult to convince others, especially employers, to go out of their comfort zone and try something new or different. But people with disabilities have the same desires and dreams as everyone else—to be members of their community, participating and producing and having some meaning in their life,” said Gregory Mathes, OPARC’s chief program officer.

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

Before starting at Rowland, OPARC gave the four workers pointers on how to present themselves at the interview, communicate with coworkers, and manage their time. The OPARC workers and their job coach work Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., removing chipped paint, repainting hydrants, and checking for missing or broken hydrants.

In the beginning, they were expected to paint 4 to 6 hydrants per day. Now, they are doing more than 15. Because of that success, the team has expanded to entry-level maintenance tasks, such as painting and janitorial, Mathes said.

“We’re grateful for this partnership and thrilled that Rowland Water District stepped up and took the lead on this,” he said. “It takes an employer to see a business benefit and also have a community sense.”

The program nurtured a spirit of community within the district and the region and among OPARC members.

Rowland’s internal messaging about the program engaged staff members and resulted in enhanced morale throughout the organization. Additionally, through its involvement in the program, Rowland invited the community to explore multiple organizations on a more meaningful level, increasing transparency throughout its service area and highlighting the value of water in a new, powerful way to the public.

One of the unique outcomes of the district’s OPARC program was the immediate effect it had on its neighboring organizations. La Puente Valley County Water District, a nearby agency in the San Gabriel Valley, also launched a hydrant improvement project with OPARC to expand its community outreach efforts. And Walnut Valley Water District, adjacent to Rowland’s north service boundary, was similarly encouraged by the effort and recently adopted an OPARC program of its own.

The district has received recognition from local and regional leaders for its distinguished dedication to the OPARC program. The district’s fire hydrant jobs program received special recognition from State Senators Connie Leyva and Mike Morrell and State Assembly Members Eric Linder, Chad Mayes, Freddie Rodriguez, and Marc Steinorth.

In a special ceremony in October 2016, San Bernardino County Supervisor Janice Rutherford honored Rowland Water District for its positive and far-reaching effects on both the local and special-needs communities. The district has also been recognized by OPARC for its distinctive commitment to enhancing program participants’ quality of life and skill sets. M Janet Zimmerman is director of client services and Leah Curatalo is an account manager at CV Strategies, a comprehensive communications and public engagement firm with offices in Palm Desert, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. They can be reached at janet@cvstrat.com and leah@cvstrat.com.

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THE INNOVATORS

Reducing Biosolids in Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Case Study

W

astewater treatment operators are constantly searching out ways to control costs and increase efficiencies. One of the biggest expenses for wastewater treatment facilities is disposal of sludge that remains after treatment processes are complete. The process can be both time consuming and expensive. One wastewater treatment facility in New Mexico has adopted a remediation solution that has proven to reduce biosolids and improve efficiencies.

Un-gumming the Works

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“The Rio Communities Plant runs very well virtually all the time, but we saw an opportunity to reduce biosolids and improve efficiencies and the Drylet product has enabled us to do that,” Mr. Valladao said.

Trial and Error

Drylet analyzed the plant’s existing waste sludge production and solids balance and offered New Mexico Water a trial run of Aqua Assist.

Aqua Assist is a very fine powder that comes in 5-gallon buckets. A large, initial dosage is applied during the first week, which is cut in half for the second week.

A small maintenance dose is applied regularly after that.

Upon introduction, the sludge is permeated with tailored microorganisms designed to improve how the sludge is destroyed. The result was very positive for New Mexico Water, and the plant was able to reduce the amount of wasting that was necessary.

“Everything seems to work very well. We have been using Drylet successfully for over a year now. Higher temperatures and biological activity prevent us from using the product during the summer due to lack of biological treatment aeration capacity to meet necessary oxygen levels MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOBBY TOWLE.

New Mexico Water Service (New Mexico Water) provides water and wastewater to 7,900 people in rural New Mexico. The organization’s primary treatment facility for the Rio Communities area, located approximately 40 miles south of Albuquerque, has a capacity of over 300,000 gallons per day.

Bobby Towle, the Rio Communities Wastewater Superintendent, explained that Rio Communities’ proximity to an industrial area has posed some challenges in the past.

“We had a plastic cup manufacturing company delivering chemicals and dyes to the treatment plant. Some of the copper from those dyes bound up in our sludge, which affected the sludge permit we had at that time. Another company was delivering a putty-like dye, gumming up our pretreatment screen augers and requiring us to physically remove the substance with putty knives.”

While these treatment challenges were problematic, they were not the main driver for finding a more-effective way to expedite wastewater remediation. According to Gary Valladao, the company’s Manager of Wastewater Systems, the extra time and expense required to keep the treatment systems operable led New Mexico Water to investigate alternatives.

A vendor who sold Drylet products and was familiar with the Rio Communities facility approached New Mexico Water to suggest the use of Drylet’s Aqua Assist at the facility.

THE INNOVATORS

ABOVE: The Rio Communities wastewater treatment facility is an extended aeration-activated sludge facility with a capacity to treat 300,000 gallons influent per day.

LEFT: The treatment facility’s clarifier at work.

wasting off of our mixed liquor, but we also run the sludge through a centrifuge. Drylet allowed us to transition from wasting daily and running the centrifuge weekly to reduced wasting and running the centrifuge less frequently.”

Future Expansion

Drylet allowed us to transition from wasting every day and running the centrifuge once per week to wasting every other day and running the centrifuge once every other week. for higher biological system concentration. We can meet that oxygen demand in the winter, so we concentrate on using the product during that time,” said Mr. Towle.

Mr. Valladao added, “The product has proven to be very effective overall, as indicated by improved dewatering centrifuge operation, as well as improved sludge management and control of hauling costs. The improved centrifuge operation has resulted in more consistent run times and a commensurate efficiency in polymer application.”

For Mr. Towle, finding the right balance of Aqua Assist to use was “a case of trial and error.” “But,” he explained, “when we started running the operational numbers and saw how well it was working, we were very pleased. We base our MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

While New Mexico Water had great success with Aqua Assist at its Rio Communities plant, the result was not the same at all facilities. They were not able to replicate the results experienced at Rio Communities at the Rio Del Oro Membrane Bioreactor facility because of its high treatment concentrations. Those high concentrations naturally break down the sludge at Rio Del Oro, thus minimizing the effect of the Drylet product.

Despite the challenges, Drylet and New Mexico Water are still discussing the potential value of using Aqua Assist at the Rio Del Oro plant, and are working on a trial run to apply a variation of the product to the digester there.

Mr. Valladao noted that California Water Service Group, the parent company of New Mexico Water, is also looking at utilizing Aqua Assist at its facilities in other states to achieve efficiencies similar to those achieved at Rio Communities.

“The product may not work the same in every facility, and even Drylet acknowledges this. But even those that do not see the same quantitative operational results that Rio Communities saw can still have qualitative benefits in the ease of their facility’s operations. Operational improvements and efficiencies, along with cost control are the ultimate objectives, and some facilities may even see both kinds of benefits,” said Mr. Valladao. M

27

THE INNOVATORS

A Sustainable Blend Water Recycling on the Fairways of the Pasatiempo Golf Club

C

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our current water from Santa Cruz. Today, we are nearly ready to turn the system on and begin using this recycled water,” he said.

Construction of the project began in June 2016. Once the work is complete, Pasatiempo will have three sources of water: the recycled water from Scotts Valley, the potable water it already receives from Santa Cruz, and a deep water well that was drilled several years ago.

The project’s infrastructure will have three primary components. The first is a 500,000-gallon concrete tank buried almost completely underground, where the three MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PASATIEMPO GOLF CLUB.

alifornia’s sustained drought strained municipal water providers and their largest customers, golf courses, forcing both to find solutions for sustainable supplies.

In response to the last drought, the Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California, developed an innovative approach to solve its water supply concerns for the long term.

Built in 1929 and designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the course hosts 40,000 rounds of golf annually. Pasatiempo receives almost no rain at all from May until October, requiring 55 million gallons of water each year to irrigate all 66 acres of its land. All that water currently comes from the city of Santa Cruz’s potable water supplies.

Droughts have forced the city to reduce Pasatiempo’s water allocation in recent years. In 2014, the course received only 50 percent of its usual allocation, causing nearly all the fairways to be lost throughout the summer.

According to Pasatiempo’s superintendent, Justin Mandon, the 2014 drought situation underscored the efforts the golf course had been undertaking to find an alternative water source. The result was the development of a plan to treat and use recycled water to maintain the course.

“Some of the issues to consider when looking at water sources in California are availability, location, and affordability. In 1979, the city of Scotts Valley [north of the course] built an outfall line where its secondary water flows from the treatment plant, down the hill, and into the ocean.

When the engineers built the line, they also constructed another line that branched off and went to the golf course.

We knew the line was there and was unused, and we had been thinking of how to purchase that water. The last drought pushed everyone to finally make something happen.”

After a 4-year effort, Pasatiempo signed a 30-year contract with Scotts Valley to use that outfall. “We began designing and developing the infrastructure needed to treat the water, since we did not have any treatment facilities for

THE INNOVATORS

The water recycling project from above, October 2017.

sources of water will be blended and combined. The second component is a pump station built by Watertronics, and the third is a filtration building that can filter and disinfect the secondary water from Scotts Valley and bring it to tertiary irrigation standards.

According to Mr. Mandon, Pasatiempo has designed the water infrastructure to allow water to be moved efficiently throughout the course. “We will receive the secondary water from Scotts Valley, pump it through the filtration building, and then move it into the tank. Our other two water sources will come directly from the golf course and MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

into the tank. The pump station and storage tank are at the high point of the golf course, and they pressurize the entire system from that location. It is a forced main system, but it does use a lot of gravity to facilitate the flows. There are clay valves throughout the golf course to help pull the pressure back when necessary to prevent too much water from reaching the low end of the property.”

The recycled water project will cost $9 million, to be paid for by club shareholders. Mr. Mandon admitted that convincing club shareholders to finance the project was easier than he had originally anticipated. “Getting

29

THE INNOVATORS shareholders to agree on even small construction projects can be challenging, but we did a lot of homework and outreach on this effort. We gave multiple presentations in front of the shareholders, and when the question of whether to borrow the money to finance the project was put to a vote, over 90 percent of the shareholders voted in favor of it.”

Once the system is installed, Pasatiempo will initiate a trial period to ensure it is functioning correctly. The project was originally set to come online a few months ago, but was delayed by heavy rains during the winter months. The golf course will also only be able to use the new system for a short time before the rainy season begins again. “We will run all the pumps long enough to test them and fix any computer bugs or other issues they may have. But we will not see how effective the system really is until next spring,” Mr. Mandon explained.

During and after the trial “People need to period, Pasatiempo will perform know where their regular soil testing and other water quality monitoring to water is coming ensure that the treatment process from and who provides the proper water is in charge of chemistry for the course. Mr. it. Relationships Mandon described the water supply as “very high quality.” between those Pasatiempo also has the ability entities and the to further mix the recycled water people they serve with freshwater, which will allow the course to flush out some are critical.” sodium, bicarbonates, or other —JUSTIN MANDON compounds that need to be diluted.

Pasatiempo has learned many lessons from the experience of developing and building this recycled water project, but the most important is the need for good relationships between water users and local communities.

Mr. Mandon explained, “People need to know where their water is coming from and who is in charge of it.

Relationships between those entities and the people they serve are critical, even if they do not expect to pursue a project like ours. We built those relationships early on, got to know our municipal partners, and made sure they knew us. It made a big difference in the process that helped bring this project to fruition.”

Mr. Mandon said Pasatiempo has been happy with the process so far and hopes it can serve as an example to other golf courses. “As water becomes more expensive and scarcer, the challenge is reinforced even more. One of the best places recycled water can be used is on turf, which is one of the best buffers of all the things in recycled water that people do not want in soil. It needs to be looked at more positively and viewed as an opportunity to take an underused resource, filter it through the turf and soil, and ultimately put back in an aquifer.” M

30

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

THE INNOVATORS

BOTTOM LEFT: Pasatiempo Golf Club’s water storage tank from above.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Opening ceremonies with General Manager Scott Hoyt (center) and Superintendent Justin Mandon (2nd from left).

TOP: Pasatiempo is now treating the secondary water to tertiary water through the use of filters.

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

31

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THE INNOVATORS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AQUABOTIX.

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MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

THE INNOVATORS

Aquabotix Portable Underwater Vehicles

I

n recent years, remote control and automation have revolutionized many industries, including the inspection and surveying of water infrastructure.

Jobs that once required divers can now be done by unmanned vehicles, some of which are completely automated. This reduces the costs of the inspection of water facilities while also increasing safety both to those maintaining the facilities and those who use the water the infrastructure provides.

Durval Tavares has specialized in developing such innovative technology throughout his career. In 2011, he formed Aquabotix, a company that produces remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and hybrid autonomous underwater vehicles [AUVs]/ROVs that can perform a variety of complex tasks, including inspection, mapping, surveying, and water quality sampling. Mr. Tavares spoke with Municipal Water Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, about how Aquabotix came into existence, the capabilities of its underwater vehicles, and how its innovation is changing the way water users maintain and operate their systems.

Aquabotix underwater vehicle model.

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

35

THE INNOVATORS Kris Polly: What can you tell us about yourself and the history of the company?

Endura vehicles is that the Endura has to be connected to and controlled from a tether. The operator has to drive and interact with the vehicle throughout its mission. There is some automation, but not as much as the hybrid line has.

Durval Tavares: I graduated with a degree in electrical Our hybrid AUV/ROV can do any job that the Endura engineering from the University of Massachusetts and can, but it is larger and more expensive. went to work for the Naval Underwater The Endura is 15–25 pounds, depending Warfare Center. My work there focused on its configuration, while the other can on things like submarines, control systems, weigh as much as 50 pounds. We have an and torpedoes. I then underwent a bit orientation program based on what we of a career change and went to work for call the 3–3–3 model. The name comes Fidelity Investments. That job fueled my from the fact that the Endura can be passion for business, while working for ready for use in 3 minutes, requires only 3 the Navy fueled my passion for water hours of training for operators to become technology. I founded this company in comfortable enough to operate the system, 2011 to combine those two passions and and needs only 3 missions for users to have innovation under the water mirror become competent enough to manage what was taking place above ground. Our the vehicle completely on their own. The vision for the company is one that could bring technology solutions to the water Endura product line is the most widely sector, and everything we do is based on used in the water space, and our hybrid “Our vision for the providing tools that add value to those in AUV/ROV is used for tunnel inspection that space. company was one that and other missions that traverse more than could bring technology 500 feet.

Kris Polly: Where is Aquabotix located, and solutions to the water where are your products manufactured?

Kris Polly: How are the vehicles powered?

sector, and everything

Durval Tavares: Our company headquarters we do is based on Durval Tavares: Our hybrid AUV/ROV is in Fall River, Massachusetts, about 40 by lithium-ion batteries, and providing tools that add isthepowered miles south of Boston. Our manufacturing Endura vehicles are either powered value to those in that facility is in New Hampshire, about 60 by lithium batteries or by an AC power miles north of Boston. We also have a source on the surface where the operator space.” small office in Sydney, Australia. Half our is. The power is fed through the cable. The —DURVAL TAVARES products are sold in the United States, and vehicles will last approximately 4 hours on the rest are sold internationally. We have a single battery charge. shipped products to 58 different countries, and over 400 of our drones are operating worldwide.

Kris Polly: What are some of the tasks or missions that the hybrid AUV/ROVs perform?

Kris Polly: What types of products do you offer?

Durval Tavares: We are currently programming them to Durval Tavares: We have three primary product lines. The perform a variety of missions. For example, if a customer has first is an underwater camera that can send a live video feed a tunnel that is too long to be inspected by the Endura, they topside through a cable. The camera can be viewed on an can send the hybrid AUV/ROV in through the entrance, iPad or other tablet and can even be linked to a network program it to come out the other end, and scan the area of other cameras that can cooperate. The combined video in between. Ship hull inspections are another job that the feeds can provide a comprehensive picture of the area that is autonomous units can be programmed for. They can also being filmed. Another product we offer is a remote-operated survey reservoirs to determine their exact water capacities. vehicle known as Endura, an underwater drone controlled Some companies are also using our products to inspect gates via a cable. These vehicles are being widely used by on irrigation canals, particularly in Australia. municipal water entities to inspect tunnels, tanks, dams, and pipes that carry water for hydropower. Law enforcement and Kris Polly: Have either of your vehicle lines been used to military customers are also using them for ship security and inspect pipes? inspection. Our third product line is a hybrid AUV/ROV, which carries out a preprogrammed mission automatically Durval Tavares: Yes, they have, but they can only operate and is not actively controlled by remote. in pipes that are 24 inches or larger in diameter. The The biggest difference between hybrid vehicles and vehicles can perform tests based on the strength of the pipe

36

MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

THE INNOVATORS

An aquabotix underwater vehicle atop a water tank awaiting inspection.

materials, including nondestructive testing to evaluate the metal’s thickness. A change in the noise of the pipe can also help determine the location of a leak.

Kris Polly: When the vehicle is inspecting a pipe, how does it record the location and type of problems that it may encounter?

Durval Tavares: All our vehicles have a bevy of sensors that can be added onto them—more than any other type of underwater vehicle. They can scan for things like levels of oxygen or dissolved chemicals, torpidity levels, and temperature. The vehicles measure the quality of the water while it is moving, as well as collect up to three water samples at predetermined positions along their mission route. Our hybrid vehicle’s advanced navigational sensors show its precise location at all times during its mission.

The environmental data that it gathers can therefore can be coordinated with the navigational data to determine exactly where the problem is.

One challenge associated with inspections of large areas is what to do with all the data gathered during the project. We are working on technology that will collect all the data and put them into the cloud so customers can update and review them whenever they want. This will also save customers MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER

the time and hassle of collecting and managing disks or flash drives of data. Asset management is another area of focus for our technology, which can help customers keep track of how often they need to do inspections and when to perform routine maintenance on the vehicles themselves.

This is similar to cloud systems that keep track of a car’s mileage and recommend when the next oil change should be performed.

Kris Polly: Where do you see underwater robotics technology going in the future?

Durval Tavares: As in similar fields, such as self-driving cars, the real growth area for underwater robotics stems from automation and self-operation.

Kris Polly: What is your message to water managers about your business and your products?

Durval Tavares: Our vehicles are smart and easy to use, and they significantly increase the productivity of the team using them. The vehicles can help customers determine the source of various problems within their water infrastructure quickly. Our products also reduce the need to use divers for inspection purposes, which can save money and lives. M

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Past issues of Municipal Water Leader are archived at waterstrategies.com/municipal-water-leader Big bend of the Colorado River. Photo courtesy of Flickr/U.S. Bureau of Reclamation/Alexander Stephens.