At EMWD, investments in our Groundwater Reliability Plus program are helping us provide water supply reliability for your future.
As we celebrate Groundwater Awareness Week from March 6-12, 2022, here is some fun and interesting facts about groundwater in our service area and how EMWD is working to expand its use:
It all began when: EMWD was founded in 1950 to help manage groundwater rights with area landowners in the San Jacinto Valley. Since then, we have worked hard to successfully manage our local groundwater supplies and know how important our groundwater is to meeting your water supply needs.
Why is it so important? Because groundwater is locally controlled, EMWWD can rely on these supplies during wet and dry years. When the state restricts surface water deliveries, local groundwater becomes even more important to provide for our communities.
How does EMWD get its groundwater? Groundwater makes up about 16 percent of our total water supply, but we are working to increase that amount. EMWD has 27 operating groundwater wells, including some that are 1,500 feet deep, with even more in the planning or construction phase. All of that water is safely treated before it is sent to your home or business.
How is EMWD expanding its groundwater facilities? EMWD has three major groundwater programs under construction:
- In 2022, EMWD's third groundwater desalination facility will be completed in Menifee.
- EMWD's Perris North Groundwater Program is installing six wells and a treatment facility in Moreno Valley.
- EMWD has four wells under construction in San Jacinto and recently finished work on a groundwater replenishment facility that can help put enough water in our aquifer each year to provide for 75,000 homes.
What about the future? Today, EMWD is designing a Purified Water Replenishment (PWR) facility that will clean recycled water using microfiltration and reverse osmosis, and then let it percolate into our local aquifers. This will provide us with a safe and sustainable local water supply source and help refill our groundwater basins. It is part of our efforts to invest in your water supply future.
