Published: Aug 20, 2013 | 09:00 AM

Engineers from China Visit Irvine Ranch Water District

 

Irvine Ranch Water District hosted 27 engineers visiting from China and Taiwan on a tour of the Potable Treatment Plant on August 9.

 The engineers participated in a weeklong symposium in Los Angeles, which included conferences on the environment and workshops. The Southern California Chinese American Environmental Protection Association organized the symposium. This is the second year IRWD hosted a tour for the group.

 The engineers were especially interested in the use of membrane technology to clean groundwater. IRWD has three treatment plants using membranes to clean groundwater for drinking water.

 IRWD Engineer Carl Spangenberg made a presentation on the types of membranes IRWD uses and discussed the three treatment plants. A walking tour of the Potable Treatment Plant adjacent to the IRWD administrative office on Waterworks Way was given. This plant went online in 2007 and cleans water from five wells that contain salts from many years of agricultural use.

 Other tours during the group’s weeklong stay included the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant in Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach and the Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System.