Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System, Fountain Valley, CA
- Client: CDM, Irvine, CA
- Project Owner/Operator: Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD)
- Cost: $320 million
Website: http://www.gwrsystem.com/
The Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System is the largest indirect potable reuse wastewater reclamation project in the world. Wieland Acoustics was selected to provide acoustical consulting services for the Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF) which, at an estimated construction cost of $320 million, is the single largest facility in the GWR System. The AWTF will treat up to 70 million gallons per day (mgd) of secondary effluent (expandable to 130 mgd) to achieve near-distilled water quality. This highly treated water will then be used for injection into a seawater intrusion barrier and to recharge the groundwater supply.
The AWTF consists of hundreds of individual noise sources including pumps, compressors, fans, generators and transformers. Sound power levels were predicted for each noise source – a work effort that included extensive noise measurements at similar existing facilities. Three-dimensional noise modeling of the facility was conducted to estimate operational noise levels. Ambient noise surveys, including 24-hour noise monitoring were also conducted in the surrounding community.
By modeling noise levels during the AWTF’s design phase Wieland Acoustics was able to identify potential noise issues before plans were finalized. This allowed important changes to be made early and avoided the potentially significant costs and complications of adding noise abatement after construction. Noise abatement recommendations were provided for achieving compliance with relevant noise standards including City and OSHA codes.