For pioneering the production and use of recycled water, and for its innovative groundwater management and outreach programmes, the United States Orange County Water District (OCWD) won on Tuesday Singapore’s prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize.
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The award by the Singapore Millennium Foundation - named after the city-state’s first Prime Minister - is given to individuals and organisations that have outstanding contributions in addressing water problems, whether by developing or applying innovative technologies or implementing policies and programmes.
The Orange County Water District, established in 1933 to protect and manage the Californian county’s right to water in the Santa Ana River, has “redefined the standard and demonstrated how communities can develop, implement and achieve sustainable water reuse,” said Tan Gee Paw, chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Nominating Committee.
According to the PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, the OCWD – which handles a large groundwater basin that serves 19 municipal and special water districts amounting to 2.4 million customers in California – piloted the first facility in the world, called Water Factory 21, that successfully produced potable-grade quality recycled water from treated used water effluent using an advanced water purification system. This was early as the 1970s.
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We are honoured to receive the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize and be recognized for our tradition in innovation, particularly by Singapore who, in its own right, has also drawn positive attention to the vast potential advanced water purification offers to solving global water problems
Michael R. Markus, Orange County Water District general manager
The system, relying on reverse osmosis and granular activated carbon, a water treatment component that adsorbs natural organic compounds, taste, odor and other compounds to make the water potable, has since progressed into a three-stage advanced water treatment process of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet or hydrogen peroxide – creating the standard for drinkable reused water in the industry.
Continuing with research and development (R&D), the Orange County water agency eventually launched the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) in 2008 that replaced Water Factory 21.
This new system produces reclaimed water that goes into a series of injection wells to create a hydraulic barrier that guards against seawater intrusion, in order to prevent the contamination of drinking water wells.
Currently, the GWRS is capable of supplying 70 million gallons per day (mgd) or 265,000 m3 per day of water, which is enough to satisfy the water needs of about 600,000 people.
The US agency also supplies this water using only half the energy required to pump water from Northern California, allowing them to save energy that can power about 21,000 households per year, said PUB in its citation.
The nominating committee also commended the American water agency’s public outreach and engagement initiatives. It campaigned heavily and educated the public into accepting water recycling for indirect potable use, leading the way for other countries like Singapore and Australia, and the states of Colorado and Texas in the United States, to also recycle water to improve water sustainability.
This campaign was also supplemented with the annual Children’s Water Education Festival, said to be the largest festival of its kind in the US that provides children a hands-on learning experience on water and environmental issues.
The OCWD also co-hosts the annual OC Water Summit that convenes leaders from business and water sectors, policymakers and scientists to discuss the urgent water problems that need to be addressed. They also organise the Water Hero Program, an activity for students where willing participants pledge to conserve 20 gallons of water per day, along with many other such programmes for water conservation and environmental awareness.
“Their application and successful implementation of innovative water treatment technologies, as well as water quality management and public outreach efforts, make them an international leader in this field,” said Paw.
Michael R. Markus, Orange County Water District general manager, said: “We are honoured to receive the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize and be recognized for our tradition in innovation, particularly by Singapore who, in its own right, has also drawn positive attention to the vast potential advanced water purification offers to solving global water problems.”
He noted that the agency’s achievements were a result of “continuous planning, designing, building and operations of cost-effective water infrastructure projects”, all core functions of the agency for over 80 years.
The Lee Kuan Yew Prize is the highlight of the Singapore International Water Week, a global event that combines a leaders summit, business forums and trade expo to improve water sustainability around the world. It is set to take place this June 1 to 5, with the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize award ceremony happening on June 2 at The Ritz Carlton Millenia Hotel.
