Water Reclamation Facility in Moorpark informing future drought resilience

VENTURA, Calif. - Sept. 28, 2022 - PRLog -- Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) Waterworks District partnered with Lawrence Berkely National Lab scientists to study the groundwater recharge potential of the percolation basins at the Moorpark Water Reclamation Facility (MWRF). The results of this study will help inform the future design of Ventura County's planned stormwater diversion and groundwater recharge project at the MWRF. This project will be important to reducing Ventura County's reliance on imported water by increasing our groundwater supplies.

Aquifers are increasingly stressed.  Groundwater recharge is a critical factor in assessing groundwater sustainability, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like California but recharge is very difficult to measure precisely.  VCPWA trialed a 3-Dimensional geophysical imaging survey to assess the groundwater recharge potential and its variation, across several percolation basins used for managed aquifer recharge. The results showed that the existing percolation ponds can efficiently recharge the groundwater basin and a final report provided recommendations for maximizing infiltration rates with minor modifications to the ponds.  This data not only enables VCPWA to predict infiltration rates, but also provides a means for optimizing the design of future stormwater diversion infrastructure.

This published study was led by Lawrence Berkely National Lab geophysicist Sebastian Uhlemann and facilitated by Joe Pope, VCPWA's Director Water & Sanitation.  Joe and VCPWA Engineering Manager, June Kim, were listed as co-authors on the article "3D Hydrogeophysical Characterization of Managed Aquifer Recharge Basins" which was published in Frontiers in Earth Science, section Hydrosphere.  Frontiers is the 3rd most-cited and 6th largest research publisher and open science platform in the world.  Funding for this study was provided through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's Future Supply Actions Program.

"VCPWA is working diligently on long term projects that will create future drought resiliency for Ventura County. Projects like these are incredibly important to improving the health of our stressed local groundwater basins" said Joe Pope "We are delighted to share our work and findings with Frontiers so other areas can learn from our experience."

The full article can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.9... (https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/www.frontiersin.org...)

About Ventura County Public Works Agency

VCPWA strives to deliver innovative, efficient, and cost-effective regional services that are essential to the health, safety, natural resources protection, and economic vitality of Ventura County and its residents. Established in 1954, VCPWA employs approximately 400 employees and consists of five departments: Central Services, Engineering Services, Roads & Transportation, Water & Sanitation, and Watershed Protection.

VCPWA continues to receive nationwide attention for its effective operations in improving, innovating, and ensuring projects for Ventura County's unincorporated 572 miles of roads, watersheds, levees, bridges, infrastructures, water and sanitation facilities, and billing services.