Aug 24, 2022 | Alex Wilson, News, Ventura | 0 |
PICTURED: A pipeline extending under the ocean will be buried beneath Marina Park as part of the VenturaWaterPure Project. Photo by CAPS Media
by Alex Wilson awilson@timespublications.com
People who enjoy visiting the playground at Ventura’s Marina Park may be wondering why the equipment was removed and when something new will be installed in its place.
It turns out the answer is complicated because the playground area — and half of the entire park for that matter — will be transformed into a construction site for part of a massive $300 million water project that will likely take over a year to complete. City officials currently estimate the bulk of the work at Marina Park will start after Labor Day of 2023 and be complete by early 2025.
The aim of city officials is to build what’s known as the VenturaWaterPure system which will divert water from the city’s wastewater treatment plant that currently flows into the Santa Clara River Estuary. A new advanced water purification facility will be built near the wastewater plant to create water that’s safe to drink, and will be injected into underground aquifers for later use as part of the city’s water supply.
Marina Park. Photo by CAPS Media
But the process will also create a stream of concentrated waste that will need to be disposed of safely, city officials said, which is where Marina Park comes into play.
A discharge pipe that’s currently under design will be built through the park and under the ocean surface, which will be a huge undertaking. City officials say the “ocean outfall” starting in Marina Park will emerge on the ocean floor approximately 2,000 to 4,000 feet offshore. When the project is done it will be almost entirely buried, and should not have significant impacts on Marina Park or the ocean environment.
VenturaWaterPure Program Director Linda Sumansky told the Ventura County Reporter that efforts will be made to minimize construction impacts involving noise, dust and truck traffic on the nearby Pierpont community.
“What we’re envisioning right now is that we will probably be taking about half of the park. It will be the portion that is closest to Greenock Lane. Our plan is to put a big sound wall up around there. So you really won’t be able to see a lot of what’s happening with that actual construction. We also will be working over in a portion of the parking lot. And that area will have some laydown areas for equipment and materials, and we’ll also be putting pipes together there,” Sumansky said.
Officials said most of the work will be done on weekdays but there will be some weekend and overnight construction required. Portions of Marina Park closest to Ventura Harbor will remain open to public use during construction.
Ventura currently relies on local water sources, primarily Lake Casitas, the Ventura River and local groundwater basins, officials said. Efforts are underway to build a city connection to the state water system, but the required pipeline between Camarillo and Ventura has not yet been completed. Once the VenturaWaterPure system is up and running, officials estimate it will produce about 25% of the city’s water supply. Full build-out of the entire system is expected around 2030.
A main goal of the VenturaWaterPure program is eliminating the need to discharge wastewater into the Ventura River Estuary. Sumansky said the California State Water Resources Control Board is pushing cities to phase out discharges into bays and estuaries. City officials also agreed to stop the discharges to settle a lawsuit by environmental groups about 10 years ago.
“So those two things kind of go hand in hand,” she said.
The technology used to create drinking water from wastewater is already being used in other parts of the state, and Ventura built a demonstration project a few years ago to help people get over any safety or taste concerns.
“There were a lot of folks who came to our demonstration facility…which I think was a really great experience for them. They got to see how the water gets treated and to actually drink it, and it tastes fine,” Sumansky recalled. “It’s treated to drinking water standards, just like our regular drinking water. It is definitely safe to drink. So it’s actually a resource that we have that we’re not using right now. And to be able to reuse that is a big benefit to our community.”
A city news release from last October announced a $1.7 million federal grant award for the project on top of a $2.4 million grant received in 2018. More grant funding is being sought, but the majority of the cost will likely be funded by a loan that will be paid back by ratepayers over time.
The environmental impact report for the project was approved in 2019, but officials say further actions by the city council will be required in coming years.
For people wondering when they’ll be able to take their kids to a new playground at Marina Park, officials said it will not be until after all the construction is done in the area. Plans have not yet been developed for exactly what will be built, but officials are promising to involve residents in the playground design process.
For more information on the VenturaWaterPure project, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1646/VenturaWaterPure .
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