The Soquel Creek Water District has broken ground on the construction of an Advanced Water Purification Centre – the heart of the Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Replenishment and Seawater Contamination Prevention Project.
The event took place at the site of the new facility with 50 invited guests to help celebrate the official start of construction on this state-of-the-art water purification facility.
After the keynote speeches, the group of dignitaries ceremonially turned over shovels-full of dirt to commemorate the ground-breaking.
EPA’s Water Division Director for the Pacific Southwest region, Tomás Torres said: “Projects like Pure Water Soquel are critical to fighting drought and reducing climate change impacts throughout the West. The EPA is committed to helping communities pursue smarter water management strategies, and we are proud to help finance this state-of-the-art treatment system to benefit local residents for generations to come. This represents the future of water in the West.”
The purified water produced at this new facility will be sent to seawater intrusion prevention/recharge wells to replenish the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin, which is the sole source of water supply for District customers and other residents in the mid-county. This basin is designated by the State of California as critically over-drafted, resulting in a shortage of drinking water and verified seawater contamination of the aquifer at several locations. Recharging the basin with purified, clean, safe water, will create and maintain a barrier against further seawater contamination, and provide a high-quality, reliable, and sustainable water supply for generations to come in the Santa Cruz Mid-County region.
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