WATSONVILLE — A 1.5 million gallon water storage tank at Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s Clearwater Lane water recycling facility is now up and running, with a bit more touch-up construction work wrapping up.
Construction began in 2016 on the $4.6 million project, which was created to be an addition to the agency’s existing storage tank. Together, the tanks will help PVWMA treat and store wastewater, particularly at night and other times when agricultural demand is low, so it can be used for irrigation when farmers need it.
In the past, excess treated water ran into the nearby slough system when the single tank was full.
PVWMA has also retooled four existing pumps and added two others, allowing the agency to pump out 3,600 gallons of water per minute to 5,500 acres throughout Pajaro Valley.
Such water conservation measures are critical as the state battles drought, and the aquifer feeding the Pajaro Valley faces severe overdraft and groundwater intrusion.
The project will produce an estimated additional 750 acre-feet per year, and is being paid for through a series of grants, including Propositions 1, 13, 50 and 84.
Another recent project at the recycled water facility is a pipeline that will allow the agency to blend clean water with the ocean water being drawn from wells from the north end of the system near Sunset Beach south to Elkhorn Slough. Officials hope the pipeline will help offset saltwater intrusion from the ocean into the aquifer caused by overdraft.
