The Baldy Mesa Water District serves water to approximately 15,000 people in
California's High Desert near Victorville. The District currently relies on groundwater
pumped from nine wells. The measured arsenic concentrations in the wells have ranged
from 5 to 20 parts per billion (ppb), and all of the wells have experienced As
concentrations higher than the new MCL of 10 ppb. In addition to the water quality
challenge, the groundwater basin is in a state of overdraft, and a court-approved
adjudication limits the allowable pumping of groundwater by users in the basin. To
further stress water supplies, residential development is occurring at an unprecedented
rate in the District's service area.
The District embarked on a water supply plan to evaluate their options in the face of these
challenges. The options included groundwater treatment, blending of treated and raw
groundwater, and the introduction of a new surface water supply from the State Water
Project. As the District continues to grow, a surface water supply will be more feasible to
augment, or even to replace the District's water supply, although this new water source
brings its own water quality challenges, including taste and odor and disinfection byproducts.
For groundwater arsenic treatment, the District has evaluated various treatment options
(including IX, GFH, and coagulation assisted filtration) and treatment facility
configurations, including separate well-head treatment, semi-centralized treatment, and
centralized treatment. The selection of SWP treatment process is hinged on Taste & Odor
and DBP control. The technologies evaluated include ozonation followed by biologically
active filters, ballasted sedimentation (with PAC) followed by media filtration (with
optional GAC cap), and membranes followed by UV/peroxide oxidation.
How to combine two distinctively different water sources and provide the optimal
treatment for regulatory compliance as well as for consumer satisfaction is the ultimate
challenge to the District. The District has adopted the concept of a Proactive Water
Quality Management Plan (PWQMP) to ensure that the District's water supply will be in
full compliance with both short-term and long-term regulations. The PWQMP takes into
account the considerations of SDWA compliance (such as DBPs, Arsenic, Lead &
Copper Rule), simultaneous compliance (the impact of various treatment technologies
and various blending ratios between two water sources), aesthetic water quality assurance
(such as T&O), and potential future regulations.
The water supply plan is being finalized and presented to the District's Board of
Directors for approval. It lays out the most cost-effective path for the District to meet
increasing demands and more stringent regulations in a water-scarce environment.
This paper will present the specific PWQMP used in this project. The evaluations of
various treatment technologies and the associated cost for each treatment strategy for
both water sources will also be presented. Includes abstract only.