SCV Water recently completed construction of the Wash Water Return and Sludge Systems Project at its Earl Schmidt Filtration Plant, located near Castaic Lake. The additions will improve treatment plant operations, ensure regulatory compliance and reduce staff maintenance activities.

“The completion of these modifications enhances the operational reliability of the wash water return system and the maintenance of the sludge collection system,” said Rafael Pulido, SCV Water’s water treatment manager. “And overall, this project has increased the resiliency of our water treatment system.”

The Project, which cost approximately $18.8 million and took two years to construct, included the addition of two wash water return basins, one sludge thickener tank and one sludge drying bed to the water treatment system.

Prior to the Project, the ESFP had two existing wash water return basins, one sludge thickener tank and two sludge drying beds.

Part of the Water Treatment Process

During the treatment process, water goes through filtration, which is the process of passing water through material such as a bed of coal, sand, or other granular substance to remove particulate impurities. The different materials work like a giant strainer and trap remaining particulates, but after time, the filters start to get packed full of particles.

Water treatment operators clean the filters using a procedure called backwashing. Potable water is run backwards through the filters, releasing the entrapped particulates. This wash water is sent to the wash water return basins and, after a settling process, the wash water is returned to the head of the plant and combined with raw water from Castaic Lake to be treated.

About the Earl Schmidt Filtration Plant

SCV Water owns and operates two surface water treatment plants, the Rio Vista Water Treatment Plant (RVWTP) and the Earl Schmidt Filtration Plant (ESFP), that treats State Water Project surface water from Castaic Lake. Originally built in 1980, ESFP had a potable water treatment capacity of 33.6 million gallons per day (mgd). Since then, ESFP has undergone several treatment upgrades, including an expansion of plant capacity up to 56 mgd in 2006 when raw water ozonation, contact clarifiers, wash water treatment facilities, and other miscellaneous process modifications were added. Most recently, in 2024, two additional wash water return basins, a second sludge thickener tank, and a third sludge drying bed were added to improve treatment plant operations, ensure regulatory compliance and reduce staff maintenance activities.

About SCV Water:

The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 75,000 business and residential customers. It was formed on Jan. 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated, regional water provider. More information can be found at www.yourSCVwater.com. For more information, contact Kevin Strauss, SCV Water communications manager at kstrauss@scvwa.org.