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Construction of Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility

Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility Background

A $110.3-million water recycling facility is taking shape on the southern edge of Petaluma. This facility will be the linchpin in the city’s expanding efforts to reuse millions of gallons of highly treated recycled water for use on parks, playing fields and crops in and around the city. The reuse and conservation efforts are deemed critical to the city meeting future water demands and regulatory requirements.

The Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility will be the engine that drives the city’s proposed Water Recycling Expansion Program (WREP), which is currently under review. The WREP will allow the city to greatly increase the use of recycled water on crops and irrigation, increase drinking water conservation, meet environmental regulations and keep drinking water in the reservoirs.

When it is completed, the city’s Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility (WRF) will be capable of providing up to 5.4 million gallons per day (mgd) of tertiary recycled water that will be reused for a variety of applications such as pasture, edible crops, vineyards, golf courses, playing fields, parks and at the WRF itself. If needed, the system can be expanded to process as much as 6.7 mgd of recycled water.

The WRF project will replace the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant on Hopper Street with a modern facility that will produce both tertiary disinfected recycled water and up to 8 mgd of secondary recycled water for a variety of reuse applications.

The Ellis Creek WRF is being constructed along Lakeville Highway adjacent to the city oxidation ponds. It will allow the city to increase its water recycling program from approximately 700 to 1,000 million gallons (MG) per year and result in a potential offset of 464 MG of potable water per year, saving fresh water that would otherwise be used for irrigation or other domestic or commercial uses. This will allow the city to conserve more drinking water. Because the city is prevented by environmental regulations from discharging to the Petaluma River between May 1 and October 30, in the 1980s the city began providing secondary-treated recycled water for the irrigation of 550 acres of pastureland. The city later added a vineyard on Lakeville Highway and the Rooster Run and Adobe Creek golf courses to its irrigation sites. This secondary-treated recycled water system now includes 965 acres.

A Water Demand and Supply Analysis completed by the city in 2006 found that using recycled water for irrigation of fields and other landscaped areas currently dependent on potable water, in conjunction with water conservation, is critical to conserving the city’s potable water supply, especially during drought periods. Using recycled water will diversify the city’s water supply system, allow less water to be taken from reservoirs and the Russian River and preserve groundwater as an emergency supply.

The water demand study called for the use of 650 MG per year of tertiary recycled water to replace existing and future potable water use for irrigation and various uses at the Ellis Creek WRF. It also called for another 344 MG per year of secondary recycled water to continue to support the existing agricultural reuse system.

With the Ellis Creek WRF construction well under way, the WREP will be able to meet the water conservation objectives recommended in the water demand and supply study. According to the draft Environmental Impact Report that is currently under review, the WREP includes the infrastructure required for the distribution and application of nearly 1,000 MG of tertiary and secondary recycled water in and around the city of Petaluma.

The Ellis Creek facility will send the recycled water into distribution pipelines, in addition to a 2.2 MG storage tank for tertiary treated recycled water, a 0.5-1.0MG open reservoir for secondary treated recycled water, one or more new pump stations and associated connecting pipelines. As proposed, the project will occur in phases starting in 2008.

The recycled water will go through advanced treatment filtering and UV disinfection and will receive the highest level of treatment as defined by the state of California Title 22. That level of treatment allows for unrestricted use in virtually all recycled water applications including food and pasture crops, irrigation of landscaping, parks and schools, industrial and commercial uses such as concrete make up water, toilet flushing and fire suppression systems. The Ellis Creek WRF will itself use up to 500,000 gallons per day of recycled water in its operations, including using recycled water for its fire protection system, pump seals, wash down water and numerous other uses on the site. To ensure a consistent level of quality, the city’s recycled water undergoes routine testing.

A significant environmental feature of the Ellis Creek facility will be the creation of about 30 acres of polishing treatment wetlands. The city will also convert two southern oxidation ponds to treatment wetlands. The wetlands provide a low-cost method of treating the community’s wastewater while simultaneously serving as a wildlife sanctuary with public access. Funding from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and the state Coastal Conservancy paid for the wetlands property and the public access components of the site. The project will add about 2.1 miles of walking trails from the Petaluma River dredge reclamation ponds at Shollenberger Park to the new wetlands. Overall, public will have access to about 230 acres of wetlands and wildlife sanctuary.

Work on the $110-million project started in October of 2005 and the plant is expected to be online by June of 2009. As of November 2007, the facility was on schedule and within budget.

Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility Construction Update
Council Update - January 7, 2008 for construction the month of November 2007

The Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility (WRF), which will allow Petaluma to reuse millions of gallons of highly treated recycled water, is being built safely and is still on schedule and on budget according to the monthly update presented to the Petaluma City Council at its Jan. 7, 2008 meeting. Construction of the $110.3 million project, located along Lakeville Highway, was started in October of 2005 and is expected to be complete by June of 2009.

Engineering Manager Margaret Orr of the city’s Water Resources and Conservation Department told the City Council during the meeting that January would mark the startup of the SCADA system at the plant, if there is not too much rain and the water balance allows. The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system collects data from various sensors at the plant and sends the data to a central computer, which then manages and controls the data. Orr said by late fall of 2008 the force main to the new plant will be routed to deliver water to the new plant, a milestone for the project because sewage will be delivered to the plant that day for the first time.

The four-year project is 78 percent complete, with 58 percent of time expended on the construction schedule. To date, there have been $2.5 million in change orders to the original $110.3-million contract, which is 2.26 percent of the total cost. Projects of this magnitude typically experience change orders in the 6 to 10 percent range. Orr provides the City Council with monthly updates on the WRF project, including the status of change orders and anticipated changes in the upcoming month.

When completed, the plant will be capable of providing up to 5.4 million gallons per day (mgd) of tertiary treated recycled water that will be reused for a variety of applications such as irrigation of pasture, edible crops, vineyards, golf courses, playing fields, parks and at the Ellis Creek WRF itself.

The advanced treatment plant will allow the city to potentially increase its water recycling from approximately 700 to 1,000 million gallons (MG) per year, and result in a potential offset of 464 MG of potable water per year. In doing so, the city will be able to conserve more drinking water, meet permit requirements, keep drinking water in the reservoirs and preserve groundwater as an emergency supply.

Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility Construction Update
Council Update - February 4, 2008 for construction the month of December 2007

Construction of the city’s Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility (WRF) project continues to proceed on time and within budget, according to the monthly report presented to the Petaluma City Council at its Feb. 4 meeting.

Engineering Manager Margaret Orr of the city’s Water Resources and Conservation Department told the City Council the project was 60 percent complete. Work on the facility started in October of 2005 and is expected to be complete by June of 2009. The Ellis Creek WRF is on schedule and within the budget allotted by the City Council, according to Orr. The original contract for the facility was $110.3 million. To date, there have been $2.7 million in change, which is 2.5 percent of the original price. This change order status is within the typical 6 to 10 percent range for change orders on a project of this size and complexity.

Construction crews faced challenges late last year in working on a structure essential for river discharge. Repairs were required by unforeseen conditions that stemmed from work at the site done many years ago. Crews had a limited window within which to work, due to the breeding season of the endangered Clapper Rail marsh bird. The time constraints required around-the-clock construction at times, but Orr told the Council that the work was completed within the allowable window of time and river discharges started Dec. 3.

When completed, the plant will be capable of providing up to 5.4 million gallons per day (mgd) of tertiary treated recycled water that will be used for a variety of applications such as irrigation of pasture, edible crops, vineyards, golf courses, playing fields, parks and at the Ellis Creek WRF itself. The advanced treatment plant will allow the city to potentially increase its water recycling from approximately 700 to 1,000 million gallons (MG) per year, and result in a potential offset of 464 MG of potable water per year. In doing so, the city will be able to conserve more drinking water, meet permit requirements, keep drinking water in the reservoirs and preserve groundwater as an emergency supply.