New VVWRA plant could be built in Hesperia in 7 years

By PETER DAY/Assistant Editor

The Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority is looking at building a subregional reclamation facility in Hesperia near the Mojave River in about seven years, according to General Manager Dan Gallagher.

The plant, which will be one of several built throughout the Victor Valley, will help the VVWRA reclaim water by collecting and processing sewage. The resulting “high quality reclaimed water,” Gallagher said, will be used for irrigation, watering golf courses and other similar uses.

“It’s perfect for those kinds of applications,” he said.

According to Gallagher, a Mojave River location would utilize gravity so a pump station may not be needed.

“It’s downhill of most of the city,” Gallagher said. “Everything flows down hill. It could serve a lot of the city by gravity flow.”

Also, he said, the area’s anticipated growth creates a less expensive option than building a facility in the Mesa, which would be costly due to existing septic systems and paved streets.

“It’s a much more economical proposition for new construction,” Gallagher said.

The VVWRA has served the Hesperia community since the early 1980s when a sewer line was laid under I Avenue to Hesperia. The sewer line goes through Spring Valley Lake, follows the railroad tracks through the upper Mojave Narrows to the VVWRA plant in Adelanto.

The sewer system was expected to have a 20-year capacity.

“We’re coming up real hard on 20 years,” Gallagher said. “We’re trying now to anticipate further growth.”

According to Gallagher, Hesperia generates 1.2 million gallons of wastewater a day. Meanwhile, each day the city uses about 3.6 acre feet of water, an amount that would fill a football field with water 3.6 feet high. And the demand continues to rise dramatically.

“We expect the city’s population to double over the next 20 years,” Gallagher said. “We’re getting ready for the next growth spurt.”

The VVWRA also expects to build subregional reclamation facilities in Apple Valley, Victorville and Mojave Narrows.

The VVWRA is working with local government, including the Hesperia City Council, to find a consensus on the exact locations of the facilities. The Hesperia facility is scheduled for 2010.

“Those seven years will go by in a blink of an eye,” Gallagher said.

Subregional Advisory Committee meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at various locations. The next meeting is 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 5 the Victor Valley Water District office in Victorville. The meeting is open to the public.