The city will construct the awps at the regional water quality control plant (rwqcp) to further treat a portion of the effluent through membrane filtration followed by reverse osmosis (RO)

The City of Palo Alto was awarded a $58,196,269 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation under the Water Recycling and Desalination Construction Programs (CFDA 15.504). The purpose of the award is to construct an Advanced Water Purification System (AWPS) at the city's Regional Water Quality Control Plant. The AWPS will use membrane filtration and reverse osmosis to reduce total dissolved solids in the recycled water from 770-1,100 mg/L to 400-500 mg/L, encouraging increased recycled water use and offsetting up to 3,100 acre-feet of potable water demands annually. Key project objectives include planning, design, environmental permitting, and construction of the AWPS, as well as overall program management and administration. This award is part of the Bureau of Reclamation's initiative to support water recycling and desalination infrastructure development in the western United States, enhancing regional water supply resilience.

Activities

Palo altos primary objective for the project is to improve the quality of its existing and future recycled water by reducing TDS through an advanced water purification system. The objective is to reduce TDS from its existing 770-1,100 milligrams per liter (MG l) to 400-500 MG l in the product water. This will encourage recycled water use and attract new recycled water users. Its secondary objective is to produce advanced treated water suitable for potable reuse.projected deliverables or outcomes: objective 1: planning and design. Objective 1 outcomes: completion of final design of the awps and engineering services during bidding and construction. Objective 2: environmental and permitting. Objective 2 outcomes: completion of environmental documentation including coordination with reclamation to determine nepa coverage. Objective 3: construction. Objective 3 outcomes: construction of the phase 1 awps, including membrane filtration equipment, reverse osmosis equipment, and one storage tank. Objective 4: program management and administration. Objective 4 outcomes: administrative program management oversight of consultants, contractors, design engineer, and construction contractors coordination with project partners project management grant administration, including contracting, quarterly reporting, and invoicing and legal and administrative services throughout the duration of the project.

Intended beneficiaries

By reducing demands on groundwater (current and potential future), groundwater levels are less at risk, reducing the potential for problems associated with decreased groundwater levels, such as subsidence. Subsidence damages structures and infrastructure, decreases property value, and increases the need to secure other water supplies for emergency services. IT also reduces the future value of the aquifer by permanently reducing the aquifers capacity. Groundwater quality degradation (from continued groundwater pumping or recharge with high TDS water) could impact costs of emergency groundwater because of potential additional treatment requirements or reduce availability of groundwater for potable use.subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): n a