Implementing California's New Draft Groundwater Replenishment Reuse Regulations and 2013 Amended Recycled Water Policy, Los Angeles County, California

In California, regulation of the use of recycled water for replenishing potable groundwater systems is the responsibility of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCBs). CDPH is responsible for developing uniform criteria for groundwater recharge (GWR); the SWRCB establishes state-wide policies related to anti-degradation and water quality; and the RWQCB establish water quality control plans for surface and groundwater and issue permits, including GWR permits. Narrative GWR regulations are in effect that allow GWR projects to be evaluated by CDPH on a case-by-case basis. CDPH has been working on developing more detailed GWR regulations for over 30 years, which are currently used as guidance for evaluating and approving projects. A total of six GWR projects have been permitted to date under the existing regulations and various drafts of the Groundwater Replenishment Reuse Regulations (draft GWR Regulations). As California Department of Public Health moves toward finalizing the regulations in the near future, recycled water suppliers developing new or expanded groundwater replenishment projects have been working closely with the Department to identify, clarify, and comply with anticipated requirements for treatment and monitoring. One of the first projects in California to implement the latest proposed changes to the draft GWR Regulations (March 2013) is the expansion of the Leo J. Vander Lans Water Treatment Facility, which produces advanced treated recycled water used at the Alamitos Gap Barrier that prevents seawater intrusion into the groundwater basin and replenishes the local aquifers. Also newly applicable for GWR projects is the SWRCB Recycled Water Policy that includes provisions related to anti-degradtion and monitoring for constituents of emerging concern. This paper discusses the regulatory process associated with the approval of this facility expansion and the methods utilized to comply with these new regulatory requirements.