East County Advanced Water Purification (AWP)

Water is essential to our everyday life. We must ensure a strong water future and plan wisely to preserve the environment and recycle and reuse this most precious resource. Recycling and reusing the water we already have is vital. [Music] Most of our drinking water travels hundreds of miles to get to us. [Music] We need a local sustainable water supply to secure a reliable water future that will guard against drought, protect the environment, enable us to have a locally controlled source of water and economize costs. [Music] The East County Advanced Water Purification program provides a strong water future for communities in East San Diego county. Using state-of-the-art technology to purify recycled water, it will create clean, safe, high-quality drinking water. The program is a collaborative effort with Padre Dam Municipal Water District, county of San Diego, city of El Cajon and Helix Water District. [Music] 

Here's how it works. After water goes down the drain, it will be treated at a water recycling facility. Then the recycled water will go to the advanced water purification facility. Here, the purification process begins with membrane filtration. With filters resembling straws, water is forced through microscopic holes. This process filters out particles 300 times smaller than a human hair. Next, water is pushed through reverse osmosis membranes that remove particles 100,000 times smaller than a human hair. Pharmaceuticals, chemicals and pathogens are removed, resulting in water that is near distilled quality. Then, the advanced oxidation process uses chlorine with ultraviolet light to break down remaining organic molecules. Similar technology is often used to sterilize surgical instruments. The water is now so pure, minerals are added back in for taste and to ensure a proper and healthy pH level in the water. The next step is free chlorine disinfection. Here, chlorine is mixed with the purified water to ensure the water meets high state and federal drinking water standards. The purified water will then be delivered to Lake Jennings, a reservoir in East County. To protect fish and plant life in the reservoir, the water is first dechlorinated and then combined with local and imported water. Finally, it's treated once more at the R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant before being delivered to customers as safe, clean, drinking water. 

This program will provide East County with about 30% of its drinking water. It's a smart investment that will provide water at a competitive cost compared to imported water and help control wastewater treatment costs. East San Diego County will join communities around the world already creating purified drinking water using similar technologies in London, Belgium, Singapore and California. In fact, Orange County is home to the largest advanced purified water facility in the world. For more than a decade, this facility has delivered advanced purified water to homes and businesses, including some popular amusement parks. [Music] The Advanced Water Purification program will ensure a safe, reliable, drought-proof, locally controlled and environmentally sound water supply. East County Advanced Water Purification for a strong water future. It is the clear solution. [Music]