Water Recycling - Central Contra Costa Sanitary District

Water Recycling
Water is one of our most precious natural
resources. By recycling water for non-drinking
purposes such as landscape irrigation and industrial
use, we can better maintain and manage California’s
limited water supply.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (CCCSD) believes that recycled
water is very important to the growing population of central Contra
Costa County. The environmental benefits are tremendous since it
provides an additional water source without diversions from rivers or
the Delta. It also provides an economic benefit to the community.
Recycled water is a drought-proof water supply for our local businesses
and parks.
Recycled water is used throughout California, the nation and the
world. It relies on tried and true technology that provides a reliable,
safe source of water for the appropriate use. In California alone, almost
200 billion gallons per year of recycled water are used.
Public health and environmental quality are issues that CCCSD has
effectively addressed for more than 60 years. We are committed to
providing our community with economical, safe and environmentallyfriendly recycled water.
Protecting Our
Future by
Protecting Our
Resources
C e n t r a l
C o n t r a
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S a n i t a r y
D i s t r i c t
Frequently Asked Questions
What is recycled water?
Recycled water is “used” water that has
been reclaimed and cleaned so that it can
be reused for irrigation, landscaping and
industrial purposes.
The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
(CCCSD) produces recycled water from
the wastewater it collects from homes
and businesses in the central Contra
Costa County area. This wastewater flows
through underground pipelines to CCCSD’s
treatment plant in Martinez, where it
undergoes a rigorous cleaning process that
complies with stringent federal, regional
and state water quality standards. Most
of this treated wastewater is then safely
released into Suisun Bay, but a portion is
diverted to CCCSD’s Water Reclamation
Plant and Recycled Water Filter Plant
where it undergoes additional filtration and
disinfection. The end result is high-quality
recycled water that can irrigate parks, golf
courses and school yards, provide dust
control, and be used for industrial cooling
and other non-drinking uses.
Is recycled water safe?
Due to its advanced treatment, which
includes disinfection with both chlorine
and ultraviolet light, recycled water is safe
for non-drinking uses such as irrigation,
landscaping, and industrial purposes. It is
not treated to drinking water standards,
however, and should not be consumed.
To ensure a consistent level of safety,
recycled water is regulated and monitored
by the Environmental Protection Agency,
Regional Water Quality Control Board and
Department of Health Services. In addition,
CCCSD monitors and tests the recycled
water in its new environmental testing
laboratory to ensure that it continuously
meets all regulatory requirements.
Why does our community need recycled
water?
Water is always in short supply in
California. The California Department of
Water Resources has predicted chronic
water shortages by the year 2020. The need
for water is expected to grow, driven by
treatment uses beneficial bacteria to digest
and remove organic contaminants from the
wastewater. The water is then disinfected
using ultraviolet light. Most of the treated
wastewater is then safely released into
Suisun Bay, while the water destined for
recycling receives an additional advanced
treatment step at CCCSD’s Filter Plant.
This treatment process includes chemicalassisted filtration and chlorine disinfection.
The result is high-quality recycled water
suitable for non-drinking uses.
separate from the drinking water
distribution system. A comprehensive
evaluation and physical test of each
customer’s water system is conducted to
verify that it is separate from any drinking
water system. This inspection is required
by the Department of Health Services
prior to any customer beginning service
off the recycled water system, and ensures
that no cross-connections occur between
the customer’s drinking water system and
CCCSD’s recycled water system.
and city and college campuses to the
growing list of recycled water customers.
How is CCCSD’s recycled water treated?
How is CCCSD’s recycled water
distributed?
Who uses CCCSD’s recycled water?
Wastewater from more than 448,000
residents and 3,000 businesses in central
Contra Costa County flows through
underground pipelines to CCCSD’s
treatment plant in Martinez. During primary
treatment, solid matter is screened and
settled out of the wastewater. Secondary
CCCSD’s recycled water is distributed
directly to users via a pressure distribution
system that consists of purple pipelines,
pumping stations and meter box assemblies
(purple pipes are used to distinguish them
from drinking water lines). The recycled
water distribution system is completely
CCCSD is actively marketing recycled
water to large local water consumers
who are located near its recycled water
transmission main.
increasing population, the need to protect
the Delta, and continued industrialization.
Increased conservation efforts will slow
but not stop this growth in demand. Using
drought-proof recycled water can help
resolve water supply problems by reducing
dependence on freshwater for uses such
as landscape irrigation, dust control and
industrial cooling; thus, the best and purest
source of water can be reserved for public
drinking water. Water recycling provides an
additional viable source of water to meet our
growing needs.
Landscape irrigators, corporation yards,
private soil farms and concrete recycling
and batch plants have been recycled water
customers with CCCSD since 1997. In
1998, CCCSD expanded the recycled water
distribution system into the Pleasant Hill
community and added golf courses, parks,
In May 2005, CCCSD began providing
recycled water to the new Contra Costa
County Animal Shelter. This is the first
dual-plumbed facility in Contra Costa
County, where recycled water is not only
used for landscape irrigation, but also
inside the building. This animal shelter
uses recycled water inside the building to
wash down dog kennels, saving thousands
of gallons of drinking water each year.
CCCSD also uses almost 400 million
gallons per year of recycled water for
process water at our wastewater treatment
plant in Martinez and for our landscape
irrigation at the CCCSD campus.
About CCCSD
Current Recycled Water Projects
The Pleasant Hill Project
In 1996 CCCSD and the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) reached an
agreement allowing CCCSD to supply recycled water to specific areas of Concord
and Pleasant Hill. About 200 million gallons of recycled water are used annually
by irrigation customers, including two golf courses, a community college, an
elementary school, three middle schools, a high school, and the City of Pleasant
Hill. This project will ultimately deliver 1.5 million gallons per day for irrigation
use in the Pleasant Hill area.
Future Projects
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CCCSD will continue to
study other projects to
expand the customer base
for landscape irrigation and
industrial recycled water
use. In addition, CCCSD will
continue to seek innovative
uses for recycled water like
the new animal shelter and
focus on developing
cost-effective projects
to provide a safe, high-quality
recycled water supply to
customers at an economically
attractive rate.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary
District (Central San) collects, treats,
recycles and returns clean wastewater
to Suisun Bay. We also operate a
household hazardous waste (HHW)
collection facility that allows residents
and businesses to safely dispose of
toxics in order to prevent pollution
to the local water environment and
protect water quality.
Suisun Bay
Martinez
Pacheco
Clyde
Concord
Pleasant Hill
Clayton
Walnut Creek
Orinda Lafayette
Moraga
Alamo
Danville
San Ramon
Southern
San Ramon
Wastewater collection and treatment
and HHW collection service for 335,000
people
Wastewater treatment and HHW
collection service for 136,000 residents in
Concord and Clayton by contract
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Central San’s Headquarters Office
Building, treatment plant, and HHW
Collection Facility are located in Martinez
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CCCSD Water Recycling Plant
Contra Costa Water District boundary lines
Pleasant Hill Recycled Water Project Area
Central San’s Collection System
Operations Department is based in
Walnut Creek
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
This publication was written and designed by CCCSD
staff using desktop publishing.
For more information about
CCCSD’s Recycled Water Program,
contact Nathan Hodges at (925) 335-7762 or
Melody LaBella at (925) 229-7370
Existing Transmission Main
Future Transmission Mains
www.centralsan.org
6002-10/14