Advanced Treatment of Recycled Water as a Reliable Saltwater Barrier at the Leo J Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility

There is an ever-growing demand for fresh water from the Central and West Coast Basin aquifers serving the Los Angeles area. Beginning in 2005 and continuing today, the Leo J Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (LVLWTF) was built to recycle tertiary-treated wastewater into a very high quality water that is injected to prevent saltwater intrusion at the Alamitos Barrier. The LVLWTF uses microfiltration, RO, and advanced oxidation. It was expanded to more than double its capacity (from 3 to 8 MGD) in 2014. Thanks to the success and reliability of the LVLWTF over the last decade, water previously imported from Northern California and the Colorado River is now available for other users, water supply to support the barrier is now more reliable, the recovery at the LVLWTF has been increased from 79% to an industry-leading 92%, and cost savings from avoiding imported water purchase is substantial.