EL SEGUNDO, CA, Feb. 14, 2014 -- On Wednesday, Feb. 5, a new five-year agreement worth approximately $50 million was renewed between United Water, a provider of water and wastewater services in the nation, and the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) in Carson, Calif., to operate and maintain the District's Edward C. Little Water Recycling Plant and four satellite plants.
Together, the facilities comprise one of the most unique water-recycling operations of its kind across the globe. Likewise, it is the only public-agency recycling facility in the world that produces five different types of usable water out of wastewater. The partnership saves precious water supplies in one of the nation's most drought-prone regions, and contributes to good environmental stewardship by reducing the amount of wastewater discharged to the Santa Monica Bay each day.
"Recycling is a key part of our Water Reliability 2020 program, which will provide us with more locally-controlled, sustainable and reliable supplies of water in the future," said Carol W. Kwan, president of the West Basin Board of Directors. "Our water supply is our most precious resource, and the partnership with United Water has allowed us to continue to expand our water recycling program and provide more quality recycled water to our communities."
The Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility produces over 40 million gallons of water every day for industrial and other uses. The plant produces approximately 12 million gallons a day of highly-purified indirect drinking water for use in a seawater intrusion barrier water that protects local groundwater from seawater intrusion and also augments local groundwater supplies. Further, the plant was recognized by the National Water Research Institute in 2002 as one of only six National Centers for Water Treatment Technologies.
The West Basin plant is the only treatment facility in the country that produces five different qualities of "designer" or custom-made recycled water that meet the unique needs of West Basin's municipal, commercial and industrial customers. Those recycled waters include irrigation water, cooling tower water, low pressure boiler feed water, high pressure boiler feed water, and indirect drinking water.
See also: "District is unique in variety, uses of recycled wastewater".
ABOUT UNITED WATER
United Water is one of the nation’s leading environmental companies, providing water and wastewater services to approximately 5.5 million people in the United States. In addition to owning and operating 16 water and wastewater utilities, United Water operates 90 municipal and industrial water and wastewater systems through innovative public-private partnerships and contract agreements. Founded in 1869, United Water is a subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT. For more information, visit www.unitedwater.com.
About SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT
Natural resources are not infinite. Each day, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT (Paris:SEV, Brussels:SEVB) and its subsidiaries deal with the challenge of protecting resources by providing innovative solutions to industries and to millions of people. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT supplies drinking water to 97 million people, provides wastewater treatment services for 66 million people and collects the waste produced by 50 million people. For more information, visit www.suez-environnement.com.
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