Simi Valley to Consider Sewage Recycling Plan to Reuse Waste Water : Resources: Calleguas funds may be used to build and operate pipeline and pumping station to sell effluent for irrigation.

Hoping to save money and conserve water, the Simi Valley City Council today will consider a sewage recycling plan that could reuse up to half the city’s waste water.

The council will decide whether to accept an offer by the Calleguas Municipal Water District to build and operate a $1-million pipeline and pumping station to sell effluent from Simi Valley’s waste water treatment plant.

Past waste water recycling proposals have been scuttled because the city could not afford costly setup fees.

“This is the first time the city has the chance to do something with a resource it’s been trying to develop for years,” said Ron Koons, Simi Valley’s director of public works. “In the past, the financial ability just didn’t pencil out.”

The current plan, devised by the water district, would use Calleguas funds set aside to help meet state water conservation mandates.

After water is used in homes and businesses, it would be sent to a treatment plant, where it would be cleaned sufficiently for use in irrigation without posing a risk to public health.

Under the initial project, the city would sell about 250 acre-feet of treated waste water, or about 81.5 million gallons, for landscaping in the city.

The water district would install a central pipeline, possibly along the Simi Valley Freeway, to carry water to sites throughout the city. The city or individual businesses could then add arteries to carry the water to specific sites.

The construction project could be the first phase of a $15-million system that would supply 4,774 acre-feet of reclaimed water per year, nearly half the effluent produced at the treatment plant.

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

Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton praised the project, saying reclaimed water can act as a hedge against drought by reducing Simi Valley’s dependence on imported drinking water. The city imports almost all of its water from Northern California, through Calleguas.

“This will help ensure we have enough water to get us through the tough times,” said Stratton, who was not aware of opposition to the project. “When all is said and done, we might even make some money off of it.”

Under the plan, the city’s sewage plant would receive a nominal fee for the water. “It’s not much now,” Stratton said, “but down the road it could bring in some real revenue.”

Stratton said he would like to see businesses eventually install two water hookups: one for drinkable water and the other for landscaping.

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

The water district board in July approved a $1.1-million contract to begin a similar project in Oak Park and North Ranch.

When that project is completed, it will be capable of delivering 3.7 million gallons of treated waste water every year. The water will be used to irrigate parks, school grounds and landscaping in Oak Park and Thousand Oaks and the golf course at the north Ranch Country Club.