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GRANADA HILLS (CNS) - Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman John Lee visited the newly-completed Los Angeles Reservoir Ultraviolet Disinfection Plant in Granada Hills today, which the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said will treat up to 650 million gallons of water each day, more than enough to fill the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum twice.
The new plant will be the last stop in a complex water treatment processes. It is the second ultraviolet facility in the network, following the Dr. Pankaj Parekh Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility in Sylmar, which treats water with ultraviolet light after it has undergone fluoridation, ozonation, and filtration treatments. The city's water undergoes the process before entering the Los Angeles Reservoir.
The newly-completed plant will treat water that has already been stored in the Los Angeles Reservoir before it enters the city's water distribution pipes that takes water into the city's homes and businesses.
``The LA Reservoir UV Disinfection Plant Project is a critical step in ensuring that the water the Los Angeles Aqueduct provides to our region is clean and treated to the highest degree,'' Lee said.
The $123 million project was funded by two Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The 30,000 square-foot facility has 15 UV reactors, along with intricate controls and mechanical systems and uninterruptable power supply units, DWP said.
``In Los Angeles we are taking action to become more resilient and prepared for the drought years that are happening with greater frequency due to climate change," Garcetti said.
``This state-of-the-art facility will ensure we continue delivering high quality water as our state experiences a third consecutive year of drought.''