City leaders and partners pose with a set of project plans during an event commemorating the kickoff of the Granular Activated Carbon filtration system project.
On March 4, 2021, the City of Lomita held a kickoff event commemorating the start of the project to install a new Granular Activated Carbon filtration system at the Cypress Water Production Facility. Initial construction activities began in late February 2021, and construction is projected to continue for approximately the next 12 months.
Lomita Mayor Mark Waronek began the event by sharing his appreciation for Lomita community members whose engagement helped drive and shape the project.
“I want to thank a special group of individuals who really helped initiate this project and turn it into a reality – our very own Lomita residents. This project began years ago, as a direct result of grassroots input from members of the community who came to us with their concerns about their water, and we listened,” Waronek said. “That’s how local government is supposed to work, and we’re proud to be able to serve our residents and deliver this innovative project.”
While attendance at the kick-off event was limited in accordance with COVID-19 precautions, participants from the City included Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Segawa, Council Member Jim Gazeley, Council Member Bill Uphoff, City Manager Ryan Smoot, and Public Works Director Carla Dillon, as well as Director Robert Katherman from the Water Replenishment District of Southern California and representatives from Hazen and Sawyer, AKM Consulting and RC Foster Corporation.
“Lomita has put together a fantastic team to make these upgrades to our water system, and I want to thank all of our partners for joining us today and for all you are doing to help improve Lomita’s Water,” Dillon said. “I look forward to getting the new filtration system online in the next year or so to ensure the future of healthy, safe, reliable drinking water for our community.”
The project involves the addition of GAC filtration vessels at the Cypress Water Production Facility that will filter out certain natural organic materials that contribute to the earthy odor that some residents may have noticed in the past. The upgrades will improve the aesthetic qualities of groundwater produced at the facility and also remove benzene that was detected at the site in 2019.
The City has secured approval from the State Division of Drinking Water for the upgrades, and the Water Replenishment District (WRD) has authorized the use of up to $2,000,000 in grant funds for the project from its Safe Drinking Water Program – a program to assist local agencies in increasing their ability to produce water locally and improve drought resilience.
The City of Lomita will be sharing regular updates on www.LomitaWater.com regarding GAC project construction activities along with other water quality information and water system news.
The City is committed to sharing information and helping community members understand where their water comes from. Residents are encouraged to visit www.LomitaWater.com to find all the latest water-related information and sign up for Lomita Water News Alerts.
Comments are closed.