Lake Elsinore Wastewater Improvements Include Major Plant Expansion

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District is starting the second phase of its wastewater treatment plant. The plans include increasing current plant capacity and recycled water production at the Lake Elsinore location.

The EVMWD's Regional Water Reclamation Facility was originally built in 1985. Since that time, it has undergone two expansions. The facility can currently treat about 8 million gallons of wastewater a day. The expansion will increase that to 12 million gallons a day for the over 159,000 water and wastewater customers served by the EVMWD. With new homes under construction, and more people moving to the area annually, the expansion is sorely needed, according to EVMWD General Manager Greg Thomas.

"The EVMWD Board's approval awarding a contract for the plant expansion will help the district meet the area's increasing growth and position us for future needs," said Thomas in a recent news release. "Our service area is only 35 percent built out, and state and federal regulations continue to change."

The second phase, following upgrades to the plant and distribution controls which began in 2019, will include the addition of a new fine screen facility, two new aeration basins, a new membrane bioreactor facility, a new ultraviolet disinfection facility, a new belt press building, expansion of headworks, expansion of the influent pump station and new odor control facilities, according to the release.

This is all funded by the $129.9 million secured by the board from the state in 2021 in a low-interest loan.

The funding saves approximately $50 million dollars in interest expenses over the next 30 years, which leads to direct long-term savings for ratepayers, according to the district.

The expansion facility is expected to be completed in 2026.