The full-scale operation of water reuse facilities, and delivery of recycled water to farms,
by the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency began in April 1998. Depending
on demand for the reclaimed municipal wastewater, up to 90,000 m<sup>3</sup>/day (24 million gal/d)
can be treated and distributed to farmers to irrigate 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of food
crops, including artichokes, lettuce, broccoli, and strawberries. The treatment train consists
of primary sedimentation, biological secondary treatment (trickling filter/solids contact),
coagulation, flocculation, dual-media filtration, and chlorine disinfection. Since 1988, the
tertiary effluent has been monitored daily for total and fecal coliform bacteria and
approximately three times per year for pathogenic organisms of concern, including total
culturable virus, E. Coli 0157:H7, Legionella, Salmonella, Shigella, Cyclospora oocysts,
Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts, and helminth eggs. During five years of monitoring,
the California Title 22 standard on total coliforms has been exceeded only five times. In terms
of pathogens, only Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts, and Cyclospora oocysts have
been found in the final effluent. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 39% and Giardia
cysts and Cyclospora oocysts in 6% of the effluent samples, with maximum concentrations of
2.3, 0.3, and 0.034 cysts/L, respectively. These low concentrations are not believed to
represent a health risk. Includes 16 references, tables.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 390 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 10 |
| Published : | 01/11/2004 |
