HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-30-2025 OC SAN-SAWPA Joint Policy Committee Late Communication Memo
June 26, 2025 TO: OC San / SAWPA Joint Policy Committee Orange County Sanitation District
FROM: Jackie Castro Assistant Clerk of the Board RE: LATE COMMUNICATION The Assistant Clerk of the Board received a PowerPoint presentation from General Manager Rob Thompson regarding Item No. 1 after the publication of the agenda. The Presentation is attached for your reference. 1. DISCUSSION ITEMS:
A. Welcome and Introductions
B. Wastewater Ordinance Update (OC San/SAWPA)
C. Emergency Preparedness/Resilience (SAWPA)
D. Environmental Protection Agency/Waterboard Update (OC San)
• Brine Line 101 RWQCB Request
• PFAS RWQCB Request
E. Biosolids
• Supercritical Water Oxidation (OC San)
• Biosolids Deep Well Injection (OC San)
F. Ocean Outfall Use (OC San)
• Concentration/Dilution Modeling
• Risks
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SAWPA Joint Policy Committee
June 30, 2025
OC San’s Current & Future State
Rob Thompson
General Manager
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Our
Facilities
Reclamation Plant No. 2Huntington BeachReclamation Plant No. 1Fountain ValleyOC San HeadquartersFountain Valley
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Business Residential Industrial
Private Lateral
Local Sewer
Manhole
Local Manhole
OC San Regional Trunkline
Ocean Outfall
To Orange County
Water District
Portholes
Reclamation Plants
Wastewater
Collection
System
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Allocations Based on:
530 Tons per day148 Trucks per week
Fail-safe Back-up
Landfill and Lime stabilization
Tule Ranch – AgTech
CA NV AR
Kern County
Los Angeles County
San Diego
County Yuma County
OC SAN
La Paz County
Fail-safe Back upCompostSynagro – AZ Soils
41.9% (Feed and Seed Crops)
Tule Ranch – AgTech
222 tons/day, 62 trucks/week
10.2% Compost
Synagro – Liberty Compost
54 tons/day, 15 trucks/week
19.6% CompostSynagro – South Kern104 tons/day, 29 trucks/week
3.4% Compost
IERCA – Inland Empire
18 tons/day, 5 trucks/week
0% (Pellets and Biochar)Anaergia – Rialto Bioenergy Facility0 tons/day, 0 trucks/week
Fail-safe Back-up
Landfill
OCWR – Prima Deshecha
24.9% CompostSynagro – Nursery Empire132 tons/day, 37 trucks/week
Biosolids
Management
of OC San’s biosolids are
beneficially used.
100%
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•PFAS
•Microplastics
•Methane
•Brine
•Electric Haul Trucks
Treatment Challenges
*Image Source: City of Riverside
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What is Supercritical Water
The properties of H2O
change significantly above
3200 psi and 705 degrees
Fahrenheit.
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Tomorrow's Solids Solution
OC San and 374Water°have partnered to build a six-ton-per day demonstration project called
AirSCWO Nix6. This process uses water at a high temperature and pressure to oxidize and break
down complex compound materials like PFAS.
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The Process…
Sludge Cake to the Preprocessing Unit Preprocessed Sludge
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The Process…
Effluent/Minerals/Influent
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What’s Left
Clean Gas Effluent Effluent Water After Processing
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Next Steps…
•Demonstrate the industrial machine at 6 tons/day
•Investigate 30 ton/day unit with energy recovery.
•How can we concentrate problem compounds?
•What path do we take to a 100 ton/day unit?
•What else might SCWO help with?
•Leachate
•Food waste
•GAC/Ion Exchange Resin
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Deep Well Injection
•Reduce/eliminate transport
costs/carbon
•Reduce treatment costs
•Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
•Long-term carbon sequestration
•PFAS/microplastic/pharmaceuticals
forever home
Injection Profile
Bottom of the Aquifer
Injection in R2, R3 Sandstones
Confining Shales
Confining Shales
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•EPA Underground Injection
Control (UIC) Program
•CA Geologic Energy Management Division and Regional WQCB
•City of Fountain Valley Well
Permit
•CEQA
•Coastal Commission – Plant No. 2
•SCAQMD - odor scrubbers
Permits
•Evaluate DWI Feasibility at Plant No. 2 (late summer 2025)
•EPA Meeting to introduce study (June 2025)
•Key Decisions
•DWI Size & location
•Integration with existing biosolids management
•OA & PDB/DBOM Structure
•J-143
•Issue a Public Outreach Consultant Contract
•Procure CEQA consultant (likely MND)
•Procure Design Builder (early 2027)
•EPA Permit
•Well Testing
Next Steps
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Questions?
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For More
Information
Visit us at: OCSan.govFollow us: @OCSanDistrict
Also on…
Contact info here
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Rob Thompson
(714) 593-7110
rthompson@OCSan.gov
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