La Palma Project Receives Engineering Awards

OCWD’s La Palma Recharge Basin, which began construction in September 2015 and was completed in February 2017, recently received two engineering awards.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Orange County Branch presented the Outstanding Water Project Award for La Palma Water Recharge Basin to the Orange County Water District and Stantec Consulting Services at ASCE’s awards dinner on Feb. 16. The honor celebrated the project for how it helps improve the quality of life for those in Orange County.

The La Palma Groundwater Recharge Basin project also received the 2017 Engineering Project Achievement Award from the Orange County Engineering Council (OCEC) at its National Engineers’ Week Honors and Awards Banquet held Feb. 25. The award honors the accomplishments, quality and diversity of engineering and related scientific communities in Southern California.

The La Palma Basin property is comprised of 17.7 acres and is located adjacent to the Carbon Creek Diversion Channel and the District’s existing Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) distribution pipeline. The recharge basin is dedicated to only receive GWRS water. Construction of the new La Palma Recharge Basin was performed by Los Angeles Engineering, Inc. and consisted of excavating the recharge basin, transporting the sandy material to other District facilities and to the contractor’s export site, constructing a pipeline to connect the basin with the existing GWRS distribution pipeline, and constructing a dewatering pump station and constructing a combination air-gap and flow control structure.

OCWD’s La Palma Recharge Basin project is primarily funded by a low-interest rate Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan through the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Financial Assistance. Additionally, the SWRCB has awarded the project a $2.86 million Proposition 1 Grant.