Desalination and On-Farm Recycling Project

Desalination and On-Farm Recycling Project

Westlands Water District (District) is proposing the Desalination and On-Farm Recycling Pilot Project (Pilot Project), which will use an existing groundwater well to supply a reverse osmosis (RO) treatment facility. Once operational, the RO treatment process will generate mineralized water as a byproduct. Using proprietary vegetation specifically engineered to uptake salts and other constituents, Westlands will apply the mineralized water to irrigate salt-tolerant crops, which will remove the salts and store in the plants. Due to this uptake of salts and minerals such as boron and selenium, the crop will be rich in nutrients, making a valuable source of bio-nutrients for livestock once harvested. The District will collect data from the proposed Pilot Project to determine if a large-scale project is feasible. If successful, this Pilot Project will demonstrate that poor quality groundwater extracted from the upper, unconfined aquifer can be treated cost-effectively and that the mineralized byproduct can be beneficially reused. This will provide another high-quality supply for Westlands and the communities it serves and promote State policy by reducing reliance on the Delta to meet future water demands. The long-term average annual water supply benefit could be up to 1,460 acre-feet per year.

Fresno

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Fresno