Construction is now underway to expand the capacity of the Regional Treatment Facility from 12.5 to 18 million gallons per day (MGD). Bids were opened in January 2005 to expand the treatment plant to 14.5 MGD, and SSC Construction submitted the lowest responsive bid of $22.5 million. Construction began in May 2005, and is expected to be completed by October 2007. Bids were opened in December 2005 to further expand the plant to 18 MGD, and SSC Construction submitted the lowest responsive bid of $23.5 million. The Board approved a construction contract in February 2006, and construction is expected to be completed by mid-2008. RBF Consulting provided engineering services for the 14.5 MGD and the 18 MGD Expansion Projects, which are necessary to accommodate rapid growth in the area's population and higher than expected wastewater flows. The expansion will include four new primary clarifiers, four additional aeration basins, a second blower building, four new secondary clarifiers, two new anaerobic digesters, seven additional sludge drying beds, four additional percolation ponds, generator upgrades, a new septage receiving station, and miscellaneous improvements. The improvements will also prepare the plant to accommodate solids returned to the sewer from the proposed subregional treatment facilities (described below).

In August 2005 RBF Consulting completed a hydraulic model and GIS map of the regional interceptor sewer system, which identified areas where additional capacity was needed. In late 2005 design work began on Phases I & II to expand the capacity of the regional interceptor system, including two new pump stations and a directional drilled pipeline crossing under the Mojave River. A series of improvements to the interceptor sewer system will be necessary in order to convey increasing flows to the Regional Treatment Plant.

VVWRA continued work on a study to develop subregional reclamation facilities, which will provide wastewater treatment for the growing community, as well as high quality reclaimed water for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation. Initially two subregional facilities will be constructed, one 4 MGD facility in Hesperia, and a second 4 MGD facility in Apple Valley, which should be operational by late 2009. The work is being performed by Boyle Engineering and Bauer Environmental. Bauer Environmental prepared a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (CEQA) for the subregional reclamation facilities, which was released for public comment in August 2004. A Subregional Advisory Committee (SAC) was formed to distribute information and solicit comments from interested parties. TRG and Associates is providing a public outreach program to help educate the public and support the development of subregional reclamation facilities. Using the subregional reclamation facilities, VVWRA will wholesale recycled water to its member entities, and the member entities will execute contracts to sell the recycled water to both public and private water customers in the Victor Valley. Proceeds from the sale of recycled water will be used to offset the monthly cost of wastewater treatment. By 2020 the flow of wastewater from the service area is expected to be 25.6 MGD, and by 2025 the flow is expected to be 32 MGD, a significant increase from today's flow of 12.8 million gallons per day.

In 2004 VVWRA completed the construction of the North Apple Valley Interceptor, a 9-mile long regional sewer serving portions of Victorville, San Bernardino County, and Apple Valley. The new interceptor extends from the Mojave River near Stoddard Wells Road, under I-15 and all the way north to the County's Juvenile Detention Facility on Dale Evans Parkway in Apple Valley. The new interceptor was installed at a cost of about $4.5 million dollars. A low-interest State Revolving Loan was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board to help finance the project.

In October 2001 VVWRA opened a septage receiving facility for the disposal of the Victor Valley's septic tank and chemical toilet waste. The VVWRA Board of Commissioners approved the new facility as a means to address a local emergency, which occurred when the area's landfills were forced to reduce their capacity for septage, and area septic pumpers could not dispose of septic waste anywhere in the High Desert. The VVWRA Interim Septage Receiving Facility provides proper treatment and disposal of septic tank wastes, as well as chemical toilet (porta-potty) wastes. The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) selected VVWRA for a 2002 Award for Technological Achievement that recognized the unique and effective analytical testing and pretreatment developed and used by the treatment plant staff to screen out loads that are toxic or harmful, which could damage the biological treatment system. Each month VVWRA accepts and treats about 500,000 gallons of septic tank and chemical toilet waste. The 14.5 MGD Regional Treatment Plant Expansion Project, which is currently underway, already included replacing the interim septage receiving facility with a permanent septage facility. The new septage receiving facility utilizes a number of improvements to accommodate vactor dumpings and improve septage receiving, and better equalize the load to the treatment system.

In 2002 VVWRA completed the expansion of the treatment plant to accommodate flows up to 11 million gallons per day (MGD). The construction included additional treatment units to expand the capacity of the regional facility to 11 MGD, an increase from the previous rated capacity of 9.5 MGD. The construction required the relocation of six endangered Mojave Desert Tortoises that were found occupying an area planned for new percolation ponds. A zero-interest State Revolving Loan was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board to finance the majority of the $10.6 million dollar construction project. The increase in capacity was necessary to meet the growing population in the Victor Valley area. Daily flows to the wastewater treatment plant have increased steadily since 1997.

The expansion included additional flow equalization capacity, two new secondary clarifiers, four new percolation ponds, anaerobic digester improvements, sludge drying bed improvements, new electrical switchgear and improvements to the electrical distribution system, an additional electrical generator, and a new Operations & Maintenance Facility.

In 1999 VVWRA completed the construction of significant improvements to the treatment system. The improvements provided the Facility with the ability to achieve reliable year-round complete nitrification of the waste stream, in order to comply with a zero effluent toxicity requirement for the discharge to the Mojave River. The requirement was imposed by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board as part of VVWRA's Federal NPDES discharge permit. Although it was not required by the NPDES permit, the improvements also provided the ability for partial nitrogen removal, and the discharge to the river typically meets drinking water standards for nitrate.

The completion of the improvements did not increase the overall hydraulic capacity of the treatment facility, which was already rated for 9.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of full treatment. The improvements included additional aeration basins, replacement high-efficiency aeration blowers, a new secondary clarifier, replacement tertiary filters, a new reclaimed water pumping station, two new bar screens, and additional controls and instrumentation. The $12 million dollar project was partially funded using a low-interest State Revolving Loan.

In January 2005 recycled water began flowing to the Westwinds Golf Course at the Southern California Logistics Airport, or SCLA. The project was made possible by a permit issued by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, and by an agreement between the City of Victorville and VVWRA to share in the cost to construct a four-mile pipeline and new pumping station. Although landscaping at the Treatment Facility on Shay Road has been irrigated with recycled water for many years, the project is VVWRA's first off-site recycled water project. The permit was issued after many years of negotiations with regulatory agencies. VVWRA first applied for permission for the project in 1998. In 1999 several protests were filed against VVWRA's petition for permission to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and the SWRCB conducted hearings in Sacramento in December 2000 and January 2001. In September 2001 the SWRCB issued an unfavorable draft ruling, and VVWRA subsequently withdrew the petition. The project was redefined to use only growth flows for the landscaping at SCLA, which would not result in a decrease of the discharge flow to the Mojave River, and a permit application was filed with the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board in July 2002, which was approve din June 2003. In July 2003 VVWRA signed a Memo of Understanding with the California Department of Fish & Game (DFG) that established a minimum discharge to the Mojave River, which satisfied DFG's concerns for maintaining enough water in the river to support riparian habitat and several endangered species that use the habitat. The recycled water pipeline was completed in 2004.

In 1999 VVWRA signed an agreement to allow California Bio-Mass Inc. (CBM), a private company, to lease property for the construction and operation of a regional compost facility. The compost facility was constructed in April 2000, and the new facility began accepting green waste and other materials in May 2000. The compost facility is located adjacent to the regional treatment facility on Shay Road, near the Southern California Logistics Airport (formerly George Air Force Base). The compost facility serves the Victor Valley and converts green waste such as grass clippings and tree branches into a reusable product that looks like fine potting soil. VVWRA also provides reclaimed water to the compost facility for materials processing and for fire protection.

In 2002 the reconstruction of Shay Road was completed from Phantom East Road to VVWRA's regional treatment facility. The project was a joint effort funded by VVWRA, the City of Victorville, California Bio-Mass, and San Bernardino County. The project widened the roadway from 22 feet to 26 feet, and the road alignment was flattened and straightened to improve vehicle safety. Shay Road was originally a private road that was built in the 1980's by VVWRA to serve the regional treatment facility. Shay Road will be dedicated to the City of Victorville, and the road will become a public access highway up to VVWRA's property line. In the future Shay Road may be further extended to provide another paved access route to Helendale Road and the Silver Lakes area.

In August 2005 VVWRA adopted a 2005 Amendment to the Sewerage Facilities Plan, to more accurately reflect the current growth of the population and the resulting higher wastewater flows. In September 2005 VVWRA adopted a Capital Improvement Plan, which anticipates over $265 million in improvements over the next 20 years. The current flow of 12.80 MGD is now expected to increase to over 25 MGD by the year 2020. VVWRA currently serves over 140,000 residents and numerous businesses.

In 1997 VVWRA completed a 20-year planning study that estimated growth, treatment requirements, reclamation, and costs through the year 2020. The Plan included ideas to reclaim fully-treated effluent for beneficial uses, such as landscape irrigation, industrial process water, etc. A consultant prepared population data, sewered growth projections, potential reclaimed water users, and related sewage treatment needs to develop the Plan.

In 2000 VVWRA adopted an amendment to the Sewerage Facilities Plan that incorporated actual sewage flow data to more accurately predict future flows in the service area. In 2002 another amendment was adopted, recommending the development of four subregional reclamation facilities by the year 2010. The 2000 Amendment, the 2002 Amendment, and the 2005 Amendment to the Sewerage Facilities Plan are available for viewing on this web site.

Construction was completed in 1999 on the installation of a gravity sewer to link the former Spring Valley Lake sewage pump station with VVWRA's main interceptor sewer at the foot of Tenth Street in Victorville. The pump station is now called the Upper Narrows Emergency Bypass Pump Station and is located adjacent to the Kemper-Campbell Ranch. The new sewer will provide capacity to pump sewage around the Upper Narrows of the Mojave River during emergencies. The cost to build the gravity sewer was approximately $450,000.

VVWRA recently completed a conceptual design study to evaluate mitigation for all of the hazards that could result in the potential failure of the Upper Narrows Interceptor due to flooding, earthquake, etc. The conceptual design study identified the complete replacement of the Upper Narrows Emergency Bypass Pump Station, which was originally constructed to serve Spring Valley Lake in the 1970's. The improvements will also include a directional drilled pipeline to convey Apple Valley's wastewater across the river, in the event the Upper Narrows Interceptor sewer is damaged by floodwater or earthquake. The improvements will be completed during 2006-2007 in conjunction with the first expansions of the regional interceptor sewer system.

Revised February 16, 2006