The Hyalite/Sourdough water treatment plant is custom-designed to handle major fluctuations in raw water resulting from wildfire and high turbidity runoffs, extreme temperature variations or other possible degrading water precursors. The innovative plant upgrades the region’s water infrastructure to meet future drinking water needs and challenges, as well as making training facilities available to other regional WTP operators to enhance their skills.

The award-winning WTP, the culmination of a seven-year process, officially opened July 9, 2014. It began with our 2007 Water Facility Plan that recommended replacing the existing direct filtration facility, continued with a seven-month pilot program to evaluate treatment technologies, and ended with design and construction administration for the new 22 million gallons per day membrane water treatment plant, with the capability to expand to 36 mgd. The new 53,000-square-foot facility replaces the 31-year-old 15 mgd plant.

The new plant includes an administration/laboratory and vehicle maintenance facility, influent flow control, raw water preliminary treatment, fully automated membrane water treatment units, chemical storage and feed residuals handling and standby power.