California Water Service Receives Most Outstanding Water Project of the Year Award by American Society of Civil Engineers

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Joaquin Branch awarded California Water Service (Cal Water) the “Water Project of the Year” for its 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) treatment and compliance project at the ASCE San Joaquin Branch banquet yesterday evening. The utility will also accept the “Water Project of the Year” award by the ASCE’s Los Angeles Section, which encompasses all ASCE branches within southern California, on Oct. 6, 2018.

According to ASCE, both levels of the organization selected Cal Water’s TCP wellhead treatment project based on its unique technical achievements, complexity, scope, and engineering features. After the State of California set a water quality standard for TCP at 5 parts per trillion in July 2017, Cal Water needed to install treatment at 36 impacted well sites in its Central Valley districts before the compliance monitoring deadline of January 2018.

Because the utility had already been actively monitoring its groundwater supplies, researching best available treatment technologies, designing treatment facilities, and securing contractors to construct and install treatment ahead of the regulation being set, Cal Water was able to build and install granular-activated carbon treatment at 21 well sites with the highest TCP concentrations in Bakersfield, Selma, and Visalia within the six-month timeline, with the remainder of impacted sites taken offline until treatment was installed. Treatment was installed at the remaining sites by summer 2018 to enable the districts to bring additional sources back online to meet demand.

“Protecting our customers’ health and safety is our highest priority, and the 307,000 residents we serve in the Central Valley can rest assured knowing that their water continues to meet all federal and state water quality standards,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, President and CEO. “We are pleased to be recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers for our efforts to continue delivering a reliable supply of high-quality water to our customers.”

California Water Service serves about 2 million people through 484,900 service connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the state since 1926. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com. 

Released September 28, 2018