Ground Water Replenishment System

Orange County Water District

The Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System is a jointly funded project of the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) with OCWD as the lead or constructing agency. The GWR System is a water supply project designed to ultimately reuse approximately 140,000 acre-feet per year (afy) of advanced treated wastewater (recycled water). The GWR System will supplement existing water supplies by providing a new, reliable, high-quality source of water to recharge the Orange County Groundwater Basin (the Basin) and protect the Basin from further degradation due to seawater intrusion. It will also postpone the need for OCSD to construct a new ocean outfall by treating excess storm flows.

The GWR System is comprised of three major components: (1) Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) and pumping stations; (2) a major pipeline connecting the purification facility to existing recharge basins; and (3) expansion of an existing seawater intrusion barrier. Phase 1 of the GWR System will have a nominal rated product water capacity of 70 million gallons per day (mgd). The construction of the GWR System consists of seven major construction contracts totaling $410.3 million and a total program budget of $480.9 million.