USD/BTC = $92,796 Block 926,397 TL:DR

The Lakewood-based Water Replenishment District of Southern California on Nov. 10 broke ground on a $166.5 million project to nearly double the production of desalted water from the Torrance Groundwater Desalter System.

The city of Torrance sits atop what has become the largest brackish groundwater plume in the Los Angeles County Water Basin, taking up roughly 14 square miles. The seawater intrusion began in the middle of the last century. An underground barrier was constructed to stop further intrusion, but that did nothing to clean the existing plume.

That had to wait until 2001, when a desalter plant opened in Torrance. The plant was expanded in 2018, but even that only produces enough drinkable groundwater to meet about 25% of the city’s needs. As a result, Torrance imports the rest of its water from the Colorado River and Northern California.

After years of planning for an expansion and obtaining some $20 million in federal and state grants and loans, the board of the Water Replenishment District on Nov. 5 approved $146 million for the desalter expansion project, allowing the groundbreaking to take place the following week.

“This is a landmark moment for (the) WRD,” Stephan Tucker, the district’s general manager, said in the agency’s announcement.

The expansion will add four wells to the existing groundwater treatment system and a new pipeline connecting the wells to the treatment center. Salty groundwater from the wells will be forced through reverse osmosis membranes to remove the salt. The water will then be disinfected before it is pumped out to end users in the community.

Dallas-based Jacobs Solutions Inc. is the design firm on the project, while St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos. is the general contractor. The project is expected to wrap up in the first half of 2029.

“Together with our design-build partner, Jacobs, we’re advancing proven treatment technologies that strengthen local water reliability and deliver lasting benefits for the communities in which we live and serve,” Sagrado Sparks, vice president of McCarthy’s national water group, said in the announcement.

This is the first time I’ve heard about the intrusion of saltwater into the groundwater aquifer. Considering that Torrance only meets 25% of its water needs, paying around 1700 bitcoin for a water desalination plant isn’t too expensive. This project will ensure a secure water supply for the Torrance, California community.