New Injection Well to Protect Against Saltwater Intrusion Adapted from Information by the Water Replenishment District of Southern California The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD), the largest groundwater agency in the state of California, is installing a new inland injection well to improve drought resiliency and help improve groundwater supplies in the area. Groundwater overpumping in the mid-1900s lowered groundwater levels to below sea level along the coast. This resulted in saltwater intruding into groundwater aquifers. The freshwater, once produced by groundwater wells, became brackish, too salty for drinking. In response, Los Angeles County began constructing seawater barrier injection wells in the early 1950s. The wells actively pump freshwater into the ground, creating a water pressure “barrier” to keep seawater out of the aquifers. These seawater barriers have been successfully protecting and replenishing the freshwater aquifers in the WRD service area for decades. Built in 2003, WRD's Leo J. Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (LVL), is located in the City of Long Beach. LVL produces up to eight million gallons per day (mgd) of treated recycled water at the Alamitos Seawater Barrier in Long Beach, playing a vital role in protecting the Central Groundwater Basin from seawater intrusion, while also replenishing the groundwater supply. Using a series of injection wells at the southeastern tip of the Central Basin which also crosses over into Orange County, water from LVL is used for freshwater injection at the Los Angeles County Public Works’ Alamitos Barrier Project. WRD works closely with Los Angeles County and the Orange County Water District to make sure water demands at the barrier are being met with a sustainable and reliable supply of recycled water. Prior to LVL and its expansion in 2014, WRD relied totally or partially on imported water to meet the demand at the Alamitos Barrier, which is now drought-resilient and locally sustainable. PepsiCo is partnering with WRD and providing $1.5 million to drill a new inland injection well. One of the goals of the company’s PepsiCo Positive program is to reduce water use and replenish more than 100% of the water the company uses in high-risk watersheds. “Partnering with the Water Replenishment District of Southern California will . . . help enable long-term, sustainable water security for local communities who depend on an accessible and reliable supply of clean, safe water,” said Johannes Evenblij, president of West Division at PepsiCo Beverages North America. Not only will this partnership improve drought resiliency, it will also pilot WRD’s first inland injection well for utilization of inground storage. Purified LVL water will be injected into the underlying groundwater aquifer, adding roughly 657 million gallons per year of sustainable water to the groundwater basin. “The Water Replenishment District is proud to be the first public agency to receive a water sustainability grant from PepsiCo,” said Water Replenishment District Board President John D.S. Allen. “This grant will help build our region’s drought resilience for years to come. The WRD Board of Directors commends and applauds PepsiCo for their commitment to protecting our watershed.” Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com WTR 44 JULY 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
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