The City of San Luis Obispo broke ground this week on a $111 million project that will bring upgrades and enhancements to the City’s Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF).
“Today marks a key milestone in a decade-long effort to upgrade the SLO water resource recovery facility,” said Aaron Floyd, Utilities Director for the City of San Luis Obispo. “The facility has served as an emblem of sustainable water management for nearly 100 years and this comprehensive upgrade will feature many enhancements that will position the facility to operate safely and efficiently for many more years to come.”
The project—known as SLO Water Plus—represents the largest capital investment in the history of San Luis Obispo. It will improve the facility’s ability to recover resources traditionally classified as waste. The upgrade also will improve the plant’s efficiency while positioning the City to reduce its dependency on reservoir and groundwater supplies. In addition, the upgraded facility will deliver significant long-term benefits to water quality, the environment, resilience and community education upon its completion in 2023.
The plant was originally constructed in 1923 and upgraded or expanded in 1942, 1962, 1980 and 1994, and in 2006 water reuse facilities were added. This project integrates the latest in advanced treatment technology, including improving overall operations, reducing the need for chemicals in the treatment process, optimizing energy use, and reducing odor and noise impacts to neighbors. As a result of the upgrade, San Luis Obispo Creek will be healthier, and the City will have greater water reliability and flexibility in meeting the needs of our growing community.
In July, the City selected PCL Construction, Inc. as the main contractor. PCL will utilize local subcontractors for a significant portion of the work. The City entered into a Community Workforce Agreement with local building trades to encourage participation in the project by local construction craft workers. Electrical work will be performed by Smith Electric Service of Santa Maria. Demolition and miscellaneous site work will be performed by Papich Construction of Arroyo Grande, and paving will be performed by Apodaca Paving from Grover Beach.
Additional project information can be found at www.slowrrfproject.org.