WRD Completes Environmental Impact Review Process For New Advanced Water Purification Facility

Project will add nearly 3.25 billion gallons per year to local drinking water supply

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Water Replenishment District of Southern California

Jul 21, 2015, 04:00 ET

LAKEWOOD, Calif., July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) Board of Directors unanimously approved the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for its Groundwater Reliability Improvement Project advanced water purification facility to be built in the city of Pico Rivera, California.

WRD's GRIP project includes an agreement with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County for the purchase of billions of gallons per year of recycled water for groundwater replenishment. The water will be treated to near-distilled quality at the future water purification facility before being used to replenish the Central Groundwater Basin. The Central Groundwater Basin, which underlies much of south Los Angeles County and iWebsite - http://www.wrd.orgs relied upon as a drinking water source by millions of people, is one of the most heavily utilized basins in the nation.

The purpose of the EIR was to solicit comments from anyone wishing to share their views about what environmental issues should be addressed. The EIR was circulated for review and comment for a 45-day period beginning on April 1, 2015, and ending on May 15, 2015. Since then, WRD reviewed and responded to a total of 7 comment letters that were received during the review period, none of which necessitated any significant revisions or changes to the EIR. The final EIR, which can be viewed at www.wrd.org, includes written responses to each of the 7 comment letters.

"The finalization of this Environmental Impact Report is a giant step forward in implementing the Groundwater Reliability Improvement Project, which is the cornerstone of our Water Independence Now program" said WRD President Sergio Calderon. "When GRIP is fully operational in 2018, WRD and the residents of south Los Angeles County can declare Water Independence. We will be free from our current reliance on imported water that is increasingly costly and difficult to obtain to replenish our groundwater reserves. GRIP will provide locally sustainable and affordable groundwater supplies for the millions of residents and businesses in the WRD service area."

For more information about the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, please visit www.wrd.org.

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the regional groundwater management agency that protects and preserves the quantity and quality of groundwater for two of the most utilized urban basins in the State of California. The service area is home to over ten percent of California's population residing in 43 cities in southern Los Angeles County. WRD is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors which includes Willard H. Murray, Jr., Robert Katherman, John D. S. Allen, Sergio Calderon, and Albert Robles.

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SOURCE Water Replenishment District of Southern California