After listening to residents’ concerns regarding Lomita’s drinking water, the City of Lomita approved a series of upgrades to its water system specifically designed to improve the taste and odor of water distributed throughout the City. Furthermore, after much consideration and discussion over the project, the City Council has unanimously selected RC Foster Corporation to construct a new Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration system at the Cypress Water Production Facility, advancing efforts to remove benzene, allow the City to return to its normal operations and reduce costs to residents.
“This project is something that I know our community has been looking forward to for a long time. We’ve heard our residents loud and clear – they asked us to bring them solutions to improve their water system, and we’re proud to do just that,” said Lomita Mayor Mark Waronek. “These upgrades are a direct result of grassroots input from Lomita residents; that’s how local government is supposed to work.”
The City of Lomita is moving forward with plans for its Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration project, which will involve GAC vessels (such as those shown above) being constructed at the Cypress Water Production Facility. Photo courtesy of Valley County Water District.
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.
“These upgrades bring solutions to the concerns our residents have raised for many years, and will allow us to move forward and provide our residents with the first-class water system they deserve” said Lomita City Manager Ryan Smoot. “That is good news for the City and good news for our residents since the Cypress Water Production Facility helps us keep rates low by ensuring independence from more costly imported water sources and helps ensure the long-term sustainability of our water supply.”
The City has secured approval from the State Department 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.
Construction of the upgrades is set to begin in February 2021, and is expected to take about 12 months to complete. 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.
For additional information about the GAC project, please visit the Granular Activated Carbon Filtration System webpage.
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.
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