Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

Under contract with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD), PACE Advanced Water Engineering (PACE) performed a facility evaluation and design services to improve the efficiency and reduce operational costs of the existing 12 MGD Tapia Water Reclamation Facility by making improvements to its Process Air System. The improvements included over 60 retrievable, fine bubble aeration grids; three 400HP magnetic-bearing turbine blowers; conversion of 4160 medium voltage electrical gear down to 480V; and SCADA/controls integration to optimize process controls. These improvements reduced energy consumption by almost 40% and Performance Specifications were used to procure equipment yielding a capital cost savings of 30%. Additionally, a special Sequence of Construction was implemented so construction could take place while maintaining operation. The construction was completed ahead of schedule with a projected return on investment of approximately 5.7 years and an estimated savings of $2.5M over the 20 year expected life of the blowers.