CEE Seminar: Regional Recycled Water Program - A New Source Water for Southern California

McDonnell Douglas Engineering Auditorium
Sun Liang, Ph.D., P.E.

Water Purification Unit Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Abstract: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, in partnership with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, has been considering the development of a program to create a new water resource with regional benefit for Southern California. The potential Regional Recycled Water Program consists of a new advanced water treatment facility at the Sanitation District’s Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in Carson and a new regional conveyance system. Ultimately, the facility would produce purified water to provide a reliable source of up to 150 million gallons per day (mgd) to recharge four regional groundwater basins that serve a vital function in the region’s diversified water resource portfolio.

In 2015, Metropolitan and the Sanitation Districts entered into an agreement for development of a demonstration facility at the JWPCP.  The process train at the Advanced Purification Center demonstration facility would treat non-nitrified secondary effluent from the JWPCP through a tertiary membrane bioreactor (MBR) operating in nitrification/denitrification mode, RO and UV/AOP.  Although an earlier two-year pilot scale study indicated an IPR project was technically viable, in 2018, a 0.5-mgd demonstration facility was constructed to test, monitor and optimize the treatment process and produce the water quality data needed to seek the necessary permits.  Performance data will be used to seek pathogen log-removal values (LRVs) for Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and virus removal by the MBR as an alternative treatment technology. The facility is expected to begin operations in early 2019 and serve as an effective tool for public outreach. 

This seminar will provide a broad overview of a program that will purify wastewater to produce high-quality water for groundwater replenishment across Southern California. Following this presentation, attendees will better understand an innovative use of an MBR, which has yet to receive regulatory approval in California for reuse applications as well as understand how regional collaboration efforts and coordination with regulators and local agencies can be navigated to develop a new local water supply.

Bio: Sun Liang is the water purification unit manager with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, where he has worked for more than 32 years. Liang holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from National Taiwan University, a master's degree in civil engineering from UC Berkeley, and a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  In addition, Liang is a professional engineer registered in the state of California. Liang has been responsible for ensuring water quality regulatory compliance and consumer satisfaction through source water protection, improved water quality, optimizing existing treatment and distribution processes, and the development of future treatment options including potable reuse water for more than 40 years.