Napa Sanitation District and Napa Valley
Community College Announce Expansion of
College Recycled Water System to Sports Fields

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2008

(Napa, CA) – Napa Sanitation District and Napa Valley Community College announced that they have completed a collaborative project to bring recycled water to the campus through a new pipeline. The water was first delivered on March 5, 2008, and will be used to irrigate sports fields, reducing the need to use limited potable water supplies.

By collaborating on the project, Napa Valley Community College and Napa Sanitation District are bringing numerous environmental, financial and other benefits to the community.

The primary environmental benefit is that Napa Sanitation District is taking 50 acre-feet of recycled water each year that was being discharged to the Napa River and, now, with additional treatment, delivering it to irrigate sports fields. An acre-foot of water is equal to about 326,000 gallons, or enough to cover a football field with a foot of water. Recycled water is perfectly suited for irrigation purposes and saves water used for drinking and other potable uses. It also assures a reliable source of irrigation water for the fields, as there is always recycled water, even during droughts.

There are other benefits as well. The College granted Napa Sanitation District a valuable right-of-way across campus for the recycled water pipeline. Moreover, the cost of the facilities was subsidized by a $61,000 grant obtained by Napa Sanitation District as part of its long-planned efforts to build a pipeline to the Napa State Hospital.  The grant was divided between the District and the college, with net costs to each equal to about $134,000, making it affordable to both.

Delivery of recycled water to the college campus is a necessary first step in a proposed expansion of recycled water service to Napa State Hospital, and potentially to other areas in the future. The Napa State Hospital project has been on the drawing board for several years, with support of a $1 million grant from the state’s Proposition 50 fund. Because the college is now involved in the project as Phase 1, the deadline for use of the grant funds has been extended to March 2010.

The college has a track record of searching for sustainable and renewal uses of resources and recently completed a major solar project, according to Daniel TerAvest, the college's Director of Campus Planning and Construction. "Napa Sanitation District was a great partner. Together we were able to develop a smart, environmentally friendly and sustainable recycled water project that is good for all involved. We are really proud of how this has worked out.”

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Background on Napa Sanitation District’s Water Recycling Program:
Napa Sanitation District owns and operates the Soscol Water Recycling Facility (WRF) south of the City of Napa. The District has a permit with the Regional Water Quality Control Board to discharge treated wastewater to the Napa River during the wet season (November through April). During the dry season (May through October), the District recycles or stores its treated wastewater. The recycled water is distributed to about 20 local properties for reuse, including vineyards, industrial parks, and golf courses.

Recycled water produced at the Soscol Water Recycling Facility is disinfected and treated to the tertiary level, which is the highest quality recognized under the State Department of Public Health, Title 22 requirements.

The District is currently meeting its permit requirements and does not have any need to expand its recycled water program beyond its current plans.

However, local residents and political leaders have asked the District to find ways to provide additional recycled water to augment local water supplies where needed. The Board of Directors of Napa Sanitation District has directed staff to fulfill this request where practical and affordable. Napa Sanitation District strongly supports expansion of its recycling program where it can help preserve the Valley's potable water supplies.

Napa Sanitation District is a member of the North Bay Water Reuse Authority, a cooperative effort involving public agencies throughout the North San Pablo Bay Region that promotes sustainability and environmental enhancement by sensible use of highly treated recycled water. Working together, the members are conducting joint engineering and environmental studies, have obtained some grants and are seeking additional funding from the federal government to support local recycled water projects, which could include projects in the Napa area.

Napa Sanitation District is working collaboratively with Napa County to share costs of the engineering and needed environmental studies for Napa County’s Milleken-Sarco-Tulocay (MST) area. The County and the Sanitation District are just beginning a process of consultation with residents and businesses in the area to determine if a recycled water project can be configured that is acceptable and affordable for potential users, Napa County and the District.

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