Design Challenges of Retrofitting a Conventional WTF to Membranes to Increase Year Round Water Production

This paper will describe how The San Jose Water Company (SJWC) retrofitted Montevina Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with a membrane system. The project will help reduce reliance on imported water supplies, which have been subject to severe cutbacks during the current California drought. HDR was selected to design and construct the project using a progressive design-build delivery method. Project construction started in August 2015 and is scheduled for completion by March 2017. The paper will describe how design challenges were met for retrofitting 30 mgd of membrane capacity into an existing conventional water treatment plant.