In an effort to keep new customers in water, Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) will begin construction of its first plant to treat and filter 10 million gallons a day of imported fresh water.
EMWD is one of 26 agencies comprising the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which owns and operates the Colorado River Aqueduct. Fresh water treatment of supplies from the Colorado River Aqueduct and from northern California water has been performed traditionally by Metropolitan Water District, Southern California's major imported water provider.
"Our overall water supply was marginally sufficient to meet customer demand last summer," EMWD director Marion Ashley says. "We set three new peak demand days a year ago, which we met again this year. We intend to be ready whenever new record demands are made on us."
According to Ashley, customers will benefit most from the plant during emergencies and on high-demand days. "[The new plant] will help MWD shave its peaks for providing drinking water, comparable to shaving peak loads off energy companies on hot days," he explains.
This fresh water project is a part of what Eastern expects to be a $200-million-plus building program in the next four to six years. Water connection fees from developers will be used to finance the treatment plant, which will be located in Perris, Calif.
