SMWD
Water Reclamation Facility
Receives Plant of the Year Award
Chiquita Water Reclamation
Plant receives top
honor from California Water Environment Association
Las Flores, CA (March 25, 2008) - The Santa Margarita
Water District’s (SMWD) Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant has
received the Plant of the Year Award for a medium-sized wastewater
plant from the Santa Ana River Basin Section (SARBS) of the California
Water Environment Association (CWEA). The award recognizes SMWD’s
exceptional effort in safety, innovation, process control, energy
conservation, facility accomplishments and maintenance at the Chiquita
facility.
The Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant, located
near Ortega Highway just east of San Juan Capistrano, treats 7.5
million gallons of wastewater each day. Of that amount, 5 million
gallons is treated, recycled and used for irrigation purposes throughout
the District’s 62,674-acre service area.
Opened in 1984, the Chiquita plant allows SMWD
to turn wastewater into a valuable resource, reducing demand for
imported potable (drinking) water and also reducing the amount of
effluent released to the ocean.
“Maximizing California’s water resources
is a must for our state’s future, and on behalf of our outstanding
staff at the Chiquita plant, we are honored to accept this award
from SARBS and CWEA for our efforts,” said John J. Schatz,
SMWD General Manager. “We expanded the Chiquita facility in
2004 to increase its efficiency, allowing us to recycle more wastewater
every day, which has helped SMWD become one of the most water-efficient
water districts in Southern California. It’s nice to be recognized
for all of our hard work.”
The CWEA has 20 different categories of awards
for water professionals. Now that SMWD’s Chiquita Water Reclamation
Plant has won at the local level, it will be submitted for state-level
competition. Chiquita also was recognized as local plant of the
year in 1990.
About the Santa Margarita Water District
SMWD is Orange County’s second-largest water district,
with a customer base of more than 155,000 residents and businesses
in Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Las Flores
and inland southern Orange County, including the communities of
Ladera Ranch and Talega.
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