The project conveys recycled water from the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant approximately 6 miles to the Sacramento Power Authority (SPA) Cogen plant in south Sacramento.
The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) has completed a project that provides one million gallons of recycled water per day to the Sacramento Power Authority Cogeneration Plant located in south Sacramento.
The recycled water is being used at the cogeneration plant’s cooling tower and replaces the use of potable water—protecting this valuable resource. The potable water saved equates to the needs of about 2,200 single-family residential homes. The completion of this project demonstrates a successful collaboration between three local agencies—Regional San, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and the City of Sacramento.
The total capital costs to design and construct the piping system was approximately $15 million. Regional San secured about $6.8 million in state grant funding—roughly half the cost of the project—and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation provided $40,000 to support the initial planning efforts. Regional San also secured a 1% loan to help offset the remaining project costs.
“This project demonstrates Regional San’s ongoing commitment to providing recycled water where feasible and conserving the region’s precious potable water supply,” explained Prabhakar Somavarapu, Regional San’s District Engineer. “The cogeneration plant now has a year-round, sustainable water supply, and the pipe alignment allows for future expansion of recycled water delivery.”
This project was constructed in a phased approach to minimize impacts and create synergy with Regional San’s EchoWater Project. The transmission pipe runs from Regional San’s wastewater treatment plant near Elk Grove, north along 24th Street, east along 47th Avenue, and then connects to the SPA Cogeneration Plant.
“It took a successful collaboration with SMUD and the City of Sacramento to make this recycled water project a reality for the region,” Somavarapu said. “We are sincerely grateful for their partnership.” Learn more about this project at regionalsan.com/spacogen.
Regional San owns and operates the regional wastewater conveyance system and the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant located near Elk Grove. We provide wastewater conveyance, treatment and disposal service to about 1.6 million people throughout the Sacramento region. Learn more at regionalsan.com.
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