State-of-the-Art Water Treatment Facility Comes to Baldwin Park By Amy Bentley T he San Gabriel Valley Water Company (SGVWC) is proud to announce the launch of a new, state-of-the-art water treatment upgrade at the Plant B6 water treatment plant in Baldwin Park. Supported by the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority (WQA), this new treatment process represents the latest technology in ensuring high quality drinking water. Community leaders, industry partners, and members of the media joined the water agency on Oct. 22 at the plant for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark this milestone event. The WQA is a leading partner and has supported this technology upgrade project. “This investment in advanced treatment allows us to meet and exceed the toughest water quality standards,” said Robert DiPrimio, President of SGVWC and a board member for the WQA. “This new treatment technology is part of San Gabriel’s ongoing commitment to upgrade infrastructure, strengthen water reliability, and prepare for the future needs of the community.”
multi-year project, initiated in 2018, to replace its original Ultraviolet Light/Advanced Oxidation Process (UV/AOP) treatment system with a more robust system utilizing innovative UV/AOP technology. Unlike the older system, the new UVFlex treatment system is fully enclosed, allowing water to pass through under normal operating pressure. This feature reduces both energy use and maintenance needs by eliminating the need to re-pressurize water post-treatment. The system also uses UV lamps four times larger in diameter and 85% fewer lamps than the previous design, therefore reducing the system’s overall operational footprint and maintenance costs. The SGVWC provides reliable, high-quality, safe drinking water from a mix of sources including locally-produced groundwater from 28 wells in the Main San Gabriel Groundwater Basin and two wells in the Central Groundwater Basin. The company also has access to emergency connections with nearby water agencies to ensure supply reliability. The WQA is a special district that the state of California created in 1992 to plan, facilitate and provide funding to clean up contamination in the Main San Gabriel Groundwater Basin which provides most of the Valley’s drinking water for over 1.5 million people. Today, with WQA’s support, 34 treatment plants are successfully removing the contaminants from the Basin, including Plant B6. Learn more at www.wqa.com .
“The WQA has done a tremendous job coordinating the cleanup of the San Gabriel Basin and we strongly support this technology upgrade at Plant B6,” said
BOARD MEMBERS
WQA Board President Lynda Noriega. “It costs
a significant amount of money to clean up the contamination in the Basin because the treatment technologies are not cheap. But this work has to be done,” she said.
Lynda Noriega Chairwoman
Robert Gonzales Vice Chairman
Lynda Noriega WQA Chairwoman
California State Water Resources Control Board Member Nichole Morgan said, “The State Water Board is proud to have been a partner since the early stages. Thanks to your innovation and commitment, you have built a cost-effective treatment system that can help keep rates low for the people of the San Gabriel Valley. The state is committed to helping communities, like the San Gabriel Valley, adapt and modernize their water infrastructure, while maintaining affordability.” Since 2005, Plant B6 has played a critical role in treating groundwater contamination in the Baldwin Park Operable Unit. (Due to the widespread water contamination, the United States Environmental Protection Agency divided up the San Gabriel Basin into more manageable “operable units.”) Plant B6 treats contaminants including Volatile Organic Compounds, Perchlorate, 1,4-Dioxane, N-Nitrosodimethylamine, and Nitrate. To strengthen its commitment to clean water and the newest technology available to achieve it, the SGVWC embarked on a
Valerie Muñoz Secretary
Bob Kuhn Treasurer
Robert DiPrimio Board Member
Ed Chavez Board Member
Mark Paulson Board Member
Randy Schoellerman Executive Director
From left: David Van – SGVWC Water Resources Project Manager, Joel Reiker – SGVWC VP Regulatory Affairs, Marty Zvirbulis – SGVWC VP Water Resources, Robert DiPrimio – SGVWC President, Robert Nicholson – SGVWC CEO, Lynn Brown – SGVWC VP Human Resources, Josh Swift – SGVWC VP Operations, Gloria Olmos - S. El Monte Mayor, Jeanette Diaz, Director of Communications SGVWC , Lynda Noriega WQA Chairwoman, Nichole Morgan - Board Member, California Water Boards
From left: Lynda Noriega, WQA Chairwoman; Senator Susan Rubio; Randy Schoellerman, WQA Executive Director; Tom Love, General Manger, Upper Water; Robert Nicholson – SGVWC CEO
(626) 338-5555 | info@wqa.com www.wqa.com
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