[미국] 소켈크릭물지구, 지하수 보존 위한 정수시설 건립
지하수보존‧해수오염 방지 위한 Soquel 정수시설 착공 기념식 열려

캘리포니아주 소켈크릭물지구(Soquel Creek Water District)는 소켈지역 지하수 보충 및 해수 오염 방지를 위한 정수센터 착공을 기념하는 기공식을 지난 15일 개최했다.

기공식은 산타크루즈 카운티 지역에 있는 샹티클러 애비뉴(Chanticleer Avenue)부지에서 열렸으며 토마스 토레스(Tomas Torres)미 환경청 수자원 국장, 리차드 웰시(Richard Welsh)미국 매립지 수석 부국장, 호아킨 에스퀴벨(E. Joaquin Esquivel)캘리포니아주 수자원 관리 의장 등 주요내빈 50명이 참석해 정수시설의 공식 착공을 축하했다. 

새롭게 건립된 소켈 정수시설은 해수의 지하수 유입을 방지하고 지역 고객 및 중부지역 주민의 유일한 물 공급원인 산타크루즈 미드 카운티 지하수 유역을 보충할 예정이다. 산타크루즈 미드 카운티 유역은 특히 캘리포니아주에서도 과도한 지하수 유출로 식수부족 및 오염문제를 겪어왔다. 주와 연방 상수도 시스템에도 연계돼 있지 않아 지하수 보충은 강우량에만 의존하는 상황이었다. 게다가 지난 2014년부터 지속적인 가뭄 발생으로 미드 카운티는 ‘지하수 비상 및 3단계 물부족’조치가 시행되며 상황은 더욱 악화됐다.

소켈의 혁신적인 고도 정수처리 시설은 산타크루즈 하수처리시설 물 재활용을 통해 지역 내 물부족 문제를 해결하고자 8마일의 수송파이프라인 구축 등에 나서고 있다, 물재이용 시스템은 부족 문제해결 뿐만 아니라 지하수 대수층 순환에도 기여할 것으로 전망된다.

호아킨 에스퀴벨캘리포니아주 수자원 관리 의장은 “기후 변화는 우리가 물공급을 보존하기 위한 노력을 가속화함에 따라 더 창의적이고 포괄적인 도전을 요구하고 있다”고 말하며 “물재이용은 창의적인 솔루션이자, 소켈크릭물지구와 같은 파트너와 협력해 대도시를 넘어 재활용 프로젝트에 대한 접근성을 확대한다”고 말했다. 그러면서 “지역 지도자들이 물문제 해결을 위해 다양한 도전과 목표를 설정하고 도달할 수 있도록 적극 지원할 것”이라고 덧붙였다.

[원문출처]

Soquel Creek Water District Breaks Ground on New Advanced Water Purification Center
Pure Water Soquel Facility to Produce Purified Water for Groundwater Replenishment

Soquel, CA (December 10, 2021) – With a forward-looking theme of “Water Transformed!” the Soquel Creek Water District held a groundbreaking ceremony today, commemorating the start of construction on its Advanced Water Purification Center – the heart of the Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Replenishment and Seawater Contamination Prevention Project.

The festive groundbreaking event took place at the site of the new facility, on Chanticleer Avenue near Soquel Avenue in the Live Oak area of Santa Cruz County, just north of Capitola. Approximately 50 invited guests attended to help celebrate the official start of construction on this state-of-the-art water purification facility. 

Among the dignitaries speaking at this event were: 

•Tomas Torres, Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water Division, Region 9 
•Richard Welsh, Principal Deputy Regional Director for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Interior Region 10 
•E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board
•Kent-Harris Repass, representing U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta 
•State Senator John Laird
•State Assemblymember Mark Stone

Additionally, members of the Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors, the Santa Cruz City Council, and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors offered their remarks.

After the keynote speeches, the group of dignitaries ceremonially turned over shovels-full of dirt to commemorate the groundbreaking, to great applause and support from the gathered attendees. Throughout the event, a steady stream of attendees was excited to take selfies with an over-sized butterfly wing backdrop, in the colors of the Pure Water Soquel butterfly logo. The resulting photos gave people the opportunity to embrace the “Water Transformed!” theme by embodying the appearance of having colorful butterfly wings.  Many participants quickly posted their pictures with #watertransformed to commemorate their participation at this momentous occasion.

“Projects like Pure Water Soquel are critical to fighting drought and reducing climate change impacts throughout the West,” said EPA’s Water Division Director for the Pacific Southwest region Tomás Torres. “The EPA is committed to helping communities pursue smarter water management strategies, and we are proud to help finance this state-of-the-art treatment system to benefit local residents for generations to come. This represents the future of water in the West.”

The purified water produced at this new facility will be sent to seawater intrusion prevention/recharge wells to replenish the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin, which is the sole source of water supply for District customers and other residents in the mid-county. This basin is designated by the State of California as critically over-drafted, resulting in a shortage of drinking water and verified seawater contamination of the aquifer at several locations. Recharging the basin with purified, clean, safe water, will create and maintain a barrier against further seawater contamination, and provide a high-quality, reliable, and sustainable water supply for generations to come in the Santa Cruz Mid-County region.

“Climate change is challenging us all to become more creative and inclusive as we accelerate efforts to preserve our water supply,” said State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. “Water recycling is a creative solution, and we are working with partners like the Soquel Creek Water District to help broaden access to recycling projects beyond big, major cities. We are eager to support local leaders and their vision as they develop new ways to address multiple challenges and goals.”

This region is not connected to any state or federal imported water system – it relies on rainfall to naturally replenish the groundwater. However, due to the critical overdraft condition of the basin, coupled with a series of droughts, the District has been in a ‘Groundwater Emergency and Stage 3 Water Shortage Emergency’ every year since 2014.  Groundwater levels in the basin are below sustainable levels which has resulted in verified saltwater contamination of the groundwater at several locations. While District residents have done a remarkable job of water conservation, a reliable supplemental source of water is needed to raise the groundwater levels and prevent further seawater intrusion. Pure Water Soquel is designed to accomplish exactly that.

“After many years of working to find a way to protect our groundwater supply for the long term and achieve sustainability, I am happy to announce that the advanced water purification center – the heart of Pure Water Soquel - is now under construction and anticipated to be completed and operational in 2023,” said incoming Board President Tom LaHue. “This has been a monumental, multi-year effort by our staff and our board, with the help of our community, and in collaboration with the entire region. Pure Water Soquel is truly ‘water transformed!’”

This groundbreaking marks the start of the final step in the construction of the three key elements of Pure Water Soquel. Construction of the eight-mile conveyance pipeline system to recycle water from the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility to the Water Purification Center got underway last spring and will continue through 2022. The three Seawater Intrusion Prevention (SWIP) wells, where the purified water will be stored underground to recharge the aquifer, are substantially complete. More information about Pure Water Soquel is online at www.soquelcreeekwater.org/pws.

[출처 = Soquel Creek Water District(https://www.soquelcreekwater.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=129) / 2021년 12월 10일자 보도자료]