Purple Pipes Bringing Recycled Water to Pleasanton, Hacienda Landscapes

By Jay Hipps, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Despite a relatively wet winter, California is still in the throes of a major drought. Water conservation is looking increasingly to be a necessity for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, the State Water Resources Control Board, Pleasanton, and Hacienda are doing their parts with the City of Pleasanton Recycled Water Project.

The Recycled Water Project, which first broke ground last August, entails the installation of a distribution system which will save potable water by using recycled water for landscape irrigation. When the project is complete, an estimated 450 million gallons of potable water will be saved annually - approximately 10 percent of the entire city's annual pre-drought use.

The key element to the project is the installation of several miles of networked purple PVC pipes to carry the recycled water. These pipes will connect the Dublin San Ramon Services District Wastewater Treatment Plant at I-580 and Stoneridge Drive, the source of the recycled water, with landscapes including Hacienda, the Ken Mercer Sports Park, and the Pleasanton Tennis and Community Park.

The purple color of the pipes means that the water inside is recycled. The color purple also differentiates it from other subterranean pipes in current use: blue pipes for drinking water, green pipes for sewers, yellow pipes for natural gas and other flammable hydrocarbons, orange pipes for telecommunications, and red pipes for power lines.

"The project is proceeding ahead of schedule," says Rita Di Candia, City of Pleasanton Water Conservation Manager. "We are likely to be done getting pipes in the ground in September, a month ahead of our original estimate."

In fact, several properties are using recycled water now.

"We are already able to service some customers," says Di Candia. "The Sports Park is online now and we are preparing to turn on service at the Tennis and Community Park. We're anticipating authorization for some Hacienda properties by mid-July, and some recycled water irrigation should begin there in August."

Funding for the project has been provided through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board. In 2014, the state government provided $1 billion in low-interest loans and incentive grants to local governments and agencies to encourage the use of recycled water. The City received roughly $17 million in low-interest loans and incentive grants from the State to develop the purple pipe infrastructure to deliver recycled water to some of the city's largest water consumers. Pleasanton also received a roughly $12 million low-interest loan and grant of an approximately $5 million.

Hacienda property managers and commercial business owners with separate irrigation meters can find out how to connect to this drought-proof water source by contacting Di Candia and the Recycled Water Program at (925) 931-5515 for information. For additional information on the City of Pleasanton Recycled Water Project, access www.PleasantonRecycledWater.com.

Photo: A map of recycled water.

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