1. How the GWRS Overcame the “Yuck” Factor
Diane Pinnick
Senior Communications Specialist
Orange County Water District
September 18, 2018

2. ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT (OCWD)
Formed in 1933 by California Legislature
Manage the OC Groundwater Basin
Protect rights to Santa Ana River water
Provide groundwater
19 municipal and special water districts
2.5 million customers in north & central OC
Basin supplies 75% of the water supply for north & central OC

3. SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER RECHARGE current average
Total 352,000 Acre-feet/Year

4. HISTORY OF REUSE AT OCWD
Water Factory 21 – 1976
Provided 15 MGD of treated wastewater to blend & inject into a seawater barrier
Became world’s largest reverse osmosis plant for water purification
1991 First permit to inject 100% recycled wastewater
Need to Expand WF 21 & Build New OCSD Outfall—1990s

5. GOALS & OBJECTIVES Achieve no organized opposition to the project
Secure positive media impressions
Be prepared to address significant opposition
Educate audiences to overcome the negative “toilet-to-tap” perception of recycling wastewater
Start the outreach campaign early (10 years prior) and continue it throughout the project’s life to maintain support for future expansions
Create a positive perception of recycling wastewater to increase support of indirect and direct potable reuse

6. “Toilet to tap" & “yuck” factor

7. It tastes like water, because it is water

8. GAINING PUBLIC SUPPORT
People must trust the agency proposing the project
There has to be a real need and benefits for building
The technology needs to be explained
Have safeguards in place to ensure water quality
Medical professionals, public health regulators, legislators, & environmentalists must understand and support your project
Agencies have to be transparent about the source water
Seeing (and tasting) is believing

9. PUBLIC OUTREACH
Internal audit—are you living up to public’s expectations?
Research public concerns
Begin outreach early and keep up robust momentum
Face to face presentations: Community leaders, community, media influencers, legislators, health professionals, environmentalists. Utilize supporters to reach their audiences and quote them to gain project validity
Tours/samples
Provide written information in simple layman terms/use tested words (ex. purification vs. treatment, drinkable vs. potable
Measure effects of outreach

10. THE GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT SYSTEM
Takes tertiary-treated wastewater that otherwise would be discharged to the ocean, purifies it to near distilled quality and then recharges it into the groundwater basin
Operational since January 2008 (70 MGD)
Expanded May 2015 (30 MGD) 100 MGD
Final expansion 2023 (30 MGD) 130 MGD—enough for 1 million
Set the Guinness World Records™ title for the most wastewater recycled to drinking water in 24 hours (2018)
Largest advanced water purification project for potable reuse in the world

11. INDEPENDENT ADVISORY PANEL
Appointed by National Water Research Institute
Leading experts in hydrogeology, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, engineering, public health, public communications ,and environmental protection
Review operations, monitoring, and water quality
Panel makes recommendations to OCWD and regulatory agencies to assure quality and reliability

12. EXCEPTIONAL WATER QUALITY
California Department of Public Health developed permit requirements
Test for over 400 compounds with all results well below permit levels or at non-detection (ND) levels
28 Volatile Organic Compounds – All ND
39 Non-Volatile Synthetic Organic Compounds – All ND
8 Disinfection By-Products – All ND
10 Unregulated Chemicals – All but one ND, all below permit levels
51 Priority Pollutants – All ND
16 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals – All ND

13. BENEFITS OF GWRS Creates a new local water supply
Reuses a wasted resource
Increases water supply reliability
Costs less than desalinated water & imported water from the Colorado River & the State Water Project
Uses one-half the energy it takes to import water & one-third the energy to desalinate seawater
Improves quality of water in the basin

14. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM THE GWRS?
Public can accept potable reuse projects if:
Need is clear
Outreach is effective and ongoing
Elected officials and community leaders make commitment
Quality is higher than alternatives
Regulators have ongoing oversight
The more people know about the GWRS the more they accept it

15. GWRS SUCCESS 50+ awards National & international media attention
35,000+ visitors
Guinness World Record

16. #GetOverIt!

18. Senior Communications Specialist
THANK YOU
Diane Pinnick
Senior Communications Specialist
18700 Ward Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

19. PROJECT FUNDING Original Project Cost: $481 million
Split equally between OCWD and OCSD
Received $92 million in state and federal grants, and $4 million per year (21 year) operation and maintenance subsidy from Metropolitan Water District
Expansion Project Cost: $142 million
Received $1 million in state grants
Costs comparable to imported water
Both projects used State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans
Costs $525 per acre-ft ($850 per acre-ft without subsidies)
Final Expansion Cost: $282 million