On December 8, 2016, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (L.A. Water Board) voted to amend its Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) to incorporate a Salt and Nutrient Management Plan (SNMP) for the Upper Santa Clara River Basin that had been under development for the past five years.
Incorporating this document is a significant step to facilitate the implementation of planned recycled water and other projects in the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV).
The Upper Santa Clara River Basin underlies the SCV, and includes two aquifers used for groundwater production: the Alluvial Aquifer and the Saugus Formation.
The SNMP determines water quality levels of various salts and nutrients in the basin determined by the L.A. Water Board to be protective of beneficial uses such as drinking water supplies, landscape irrigation and industrial uses. It also determines assimilative capacity to add additional salts and nutrients while remaining within basin standards.
Incorporating the SNMP into the Basin Plan will expedite the permitting process for recycled water projects. It will facilitate future recycled water projects, including Phase II of Castaic Lake Water Agency’s (CLWA) Recycled Water Program. CLWA is currently completing the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for its updated Recycled Water Plan.
The optimal use of recycled water is a basic part of planned, long‐term water supply for the SCV. CLWA, Newhall County Water District, Santa Clarita Water Division and Valencia Water Company jointly prepared the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan that foresees recycled water supplies increasing from 450 acre-feet per year to about 10,000 acre-feet per year.
Background
In 2009, the State Water Resources Control Board established the Recycled Water Policy (Policy). The Policy recognizes the potential for increased salt and nutrient loading into groundwater basins as a result of increased recycled water use, and therefore, requires the development of regional salt and nutrient management plans for each groundwater basin in California.
The SNMP ensures that all water management practices, including the use of recycled water, are consistent with water quality objectives. It is also intended to provide a framework for water management practices to ensure protection of beneficial uses and allow for the sustainability of groundwater resources consistent with the Basin Plan.
In 2011, the collaborative process of developing the SNMP began by creating a SNMP Task Force facilitated by the Castaic Lake Water Agency and a SNMP Subcommittee. The Task Force provided technical assistance; the Subcommittee included stakeholders in the SCV and surrounding areas concerned about salinity and nutrient discharges.
The SNMP analyzed several projects and the impact they may have on salt and nutrients in our groundwater supply. Projects included recycled water, conservation programs, chloride compliance and water reclamation plants. The SNMP concluded that, in general, implementation of these projects will have a net positive effect of reducing salt and nutrients in the SCV.
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