Transforms Wastewater into Superior Drinking Water for 500,000 Residents WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System in Fountain Valley, Calif., has been named the year’s best engineering achievement in the 43rd Engineering Excellence Awards, sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Designed by CDM, the Groundwater Replenishment System is the world’s largest facility for transforming wastewater, previously discarded into the ocean, into premium drinking water. The project was chosen from 168 projects from throughout the world for its innovative engineering design and impact on society. Located in drought-plagued Orange County, California, the project includes a multi-stage cleansing process that produces 70 million gallons per day of recycled water that exceeds drinking water standards. The water is added after treatment to a major underground aquifer—the district’s primary water source. The additional water source satisfies the needs of 144,000 households or about half a million residents. The landmark water purification system moves beyond engineering recycled wastewater for agriculture or landscape applications, to creating a superior drinking water source and a new model for critical large-scale water supply projects worldwide.
