Simi Plans Waste Water Use Project

The Calleguas Municipal Water District has offered to build a $1-million pipeline and pumping station to sell effluent from Simi Valley’s waste water treatment plant to its landfill.

The Simi Valley City Council on Monday authorized further negotiations between city officials and Calleguas on the project, which could be expanded.

Under the initial project, the city would sell about 250 acre-feet of waste water, or about 81.5 million gallons per year to the landfill for landscaping.

The construction project could be the first phase of a $15-million system that would supply 4,774 acre-feet of reclaimed water--or treated waste water per year, said Michael Kleinbrodt, the city’s deputy director of public works. That is nearly half of the effluent produced at the treatment plant, he said.

He said the estimate assumes that about 100 customers, including four proposed golf courses, choose to buy the reclaimed water, at 90% of the cost of potable water.

“This is a local water supply that’s not being utilized,” Calleguas General Manager Donald Kendall said.

Kendall said reclaimed water projects can help “drought-proof” Ventura County by reducing its dependence on imported drinking water.

He said the Calleguas board will consider an ordinance later this month that would require certain water customers to buy reclaimed water when it is available.

Calleguas is also discussing waste water projects with the cities of Thousand Oaks and Oxnard, he said.

Construction is scheduled to begin this month on Calleguas’ first reclaimed water project, which will provide wastewater to the North Ranch Country Club in Thousand Oaks.