As Southern California faces increasing water scarcity, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) demonstrates how collaboration and advanced technology can secure a sustainable water future. Mark Venables discovers how IEUA is setting a new standard for regional water management through innovative projects and strategic partnerships.
The 50th anniversary of the film Chinatown in June 2024 brought renewed attention to Los Angeles’s historical water acquisition practices, particularly the diversion of water from Owens Valley in the early 20th century. This reflection underscores the city’s longstanding challenges in securing sustainable water sources.
How do you find, maintain, and preserve water in the desert? Cooperation. This was the guiding principle behind establishing the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), formed in 1950 as a collaborative effort by seven southwestern San Bernardino County municipalities. Faced with the water scarcity in Southern California, these municipalities understood that the only way to secure a sustainable supply was through collective effort. This shared vision created a unique, independently elected district that could import water from northern California and eventually address various wastewater treatment challenges, thus improving efficiency and reliability.
Today, that collaborative spirit is alive and more crucial than ever. The IEUA must contend with the sweeping changes brought by rapid urbanisation, shifting demographics, changing influent profiles, and the evolving technologies needed to fulfil its responsibilities. According to Alyson Piguee, external and government affairs director at IEUA, “IEUA is unique compared to other utilities because we do it all, including importing water, wastewater treatment, recycling water, groundwater recharging, renewable energy generation, composting, and other services.” Piguee emphasised the reliance on importing 30 per cent of its water supply from California’s State Water Project, which makes efficient management of local supplies, recycled water, groundwater, conservation, desalting, and stormwater capture critical to maintaining the agency’s operations.
A visit to IEUA’s Chino headquarters and the under-construction Regional Plant 5 (RP-5) as part of Rockwell Automation Fair 2024 highlighted how far the agency has come. Situated in a 243-square-mile district with 935,000 residents, the IEUA serves the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Upland, and the Cucamonga Valley Water District. Its reach extends to other water agencies, such as the Fontana and San Antonio water companies and the Monte Vista and West Valley water districts.
IEUA’s operations at a glance
The magnitude of IEUA’s operations is staggering. In non-drought years, it imports over 50,000 acre-feet (AF) of water annually. Recycled water forms a significant part of its operations, producing more than 34,000 AF annually, accounting for roughly 17 per cent of the region’s water supply. While primarily used for irrigation, landscaping, industrial cooling, construction, and groundwater recharge, recycled water is just one aspect of the IEUA’s operations.
The utility treats over 51 million gallons of wastewater daily and operates 19 groundwater recharge sites with 46 basins. These recharge operations managed over 30,000 AF of stormwater, local runoff, and recycled water in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Alongside water treatment and recycling, the IEUA generates 6 MW of renewable energy, 5 MW from solar and 1 MW from wind, aided by 4 MW of battery storage, and produces more than 230,000 cubic yards of compost annually.
Expanding capabilities at RP-5
The RP-5 expansion is a key component of IEUA’s long-term strategy to handle increasing demand. Originally opened in 2003, RP-5 will take over the solids processing duties of the soon-to-be-decommissioned RP-2. Located close to Prado Dam, RP-2 is vulnerable to flooding, necessitating this strategic shift. “Land use in our service areas is transitioning from dairy and agricultural to residential, commercial, and industrial, which requires more and stronger water treatment capabilities,” Brian Wilson, PE, principal engineer at IEUA, explains.
RP-5 is undergoing an extensive $330 million upgrade to assume these new responsibilities. The plant’s capacity will increase from 16.3 million gallons per day (mgd) to 22.5 mgd, complemented by a new biosolids facility. The overhaul includes shifting from traditional gravity-based secondary clarification and tertiary filtering to a more efficient membrane bioreactor (MBR) process. This change involves new influent pumps, debris screens, power centres, primary clarifiers, odour controls, and modifications to the aeration basin, a significant upgrade designed to boost treatment capabilities from a concentration of 6,000 milligrams per litre (mg/L) of solids to 8,000 mg/L. The new solids-dewatering and sludge processing applications add blowers, boilers, power centres, digesters, and a solids-thickening building to the mix.
The expanded treatment capability also comes with an increased focus on efficiency, specifically maintaining current staffing levels. Since 2006, IEUA has leveraged automation to keep plants like RP-5 staffed by humans for only ten hours per day despite round-the-clock operations. “Process automation needs continuous updating,” Wilson notes, citing the need to replace outdated components and unsupported technologies. This necessity is part of why RP-5 is standardising on Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx DCS, power solutions, and ThinManager software on VMware virtual servers. “The legacy DCS was not supportable, did not provide enough training, and made it a struggle to run lights out for 14 hours,” Loren Shipley, account manager for IEUA at Rockwell Automation, adds. “PlantPAx and ThinManager resolved these difficulties while allowing for future changes and expansion, and even adding artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.”
Scaling up automation
The extent of the automation upgrade at RP-5 is impressive. With an increase from 23 to 87 programmable logic controllers (PLCs), from two to 107 variable-speed drives (VFDs), and from 1,632 to 4,235 digital inputs, the complexity of operations has surged. In total, 5,300 new pieces of equipment have been added, including pumps, valves, VFDs, and air-conditioning units. “We are increasing instruments and other equipment by 200 per cent and increasing I/O and PLCs by 250 per cent,” Wilson remarks. “This is a lot more process unit intensity and facility complexity. Despite the rapid growth, IEUA aims to maintain its 10-hour staffing schedule through the efficiencies gained from this modernised automation system.”
The new MBRs at RP-5 will bring a level of sophistication that transforms traditional secondary treatment. Instead of relying solely on gravity-based methods, the MBRs use fine fibre filters, balancing the bacterial environment to optimise treatment efficacy, yielding effluent quality up to ten times higher than before. Meanwhile, the new solids processing facility digests waste at 100 °F, dewaters it to 20-26 per cent solids, and produces sludge for composting, a testament to IEUA’s commitment to circular economy practices.
IEUA also maintains a duality strategy, where half of RP-5’s new controls and components are held in reserve, ensuring that the overall system can maintain reliability and even perform upgrades without disrupting normal operations. This duality is supported by redundant switches, servers, and virtual servers running parallel redundancy protocols (PRP). Cybersecurity measures, including a virtual local area network (VLAN), firewalls, and data diodes, further protect the plant’s systems, while Rockwell’s FactoryTalk software ensures strict access control.
Building a resilient future through community engagement
In addition to technological advancements, IEUA significantly emphasises community engagement and education. As part of its transparency efforts, IEUA actively engages with community members and stakeholders to foster a greater understanding of the region’s water issues and the efforts to ensure a sustainable supply.
Wilson highlighted how the community has embraced IEUA’s efforts, noting, “We have done about 100 tours for representatives of our municipalities, other service agencies, and community members. One retired police chief said she never thought about where wastewater went before but was glad to know it now.” These community tours have become an effective way to increase awareness, ensuring that people understand the complexities of water management and the critical nature of the IEUA’s operations.
The agency collaborates with schools, local governments, and non-profit organisations to promote water conservation. Educational programs, from classroom presentations to hands-on demonstrations at treatment plants like RP-5, are designed to inform students about the importance of water stewardship. These initiatives help cultivate a new generation conscious of water challenges and committed to making sustainable decisions.
Emphasising environmental stewardship
IEUA’s commitment to environmental sustainability goes beyond water management. The agency actively engages in renewable energy projects, compost production, and habitat restoration efforts. The renewable energy generated by IEUA helps offset its operational carbon footprint, while compost production from wastewater solids supports regional agriculture, promoting a circular economy approach.
Additionally, habitat restoration projects aim to protect and enhance local ecosystems. IEUA’s focus on environmental stewardship is reflected in its approach to land use and development, ensuring that the needs of urban expansion are balanced with ecological sustainability. This commitment has positioned IEUA as a leader in sustainable development practices within the region, setting an example for other utilities facing similar challenges.
A critical aspect of IEUA’s modernisation strategy involves leveraging data analytics to optimise water treatment processes. By integrating advanced data collection and analysis tools, IEUA can monitor system performance in real-time, allowing operators to make informed decisions swiftly. Data analytics has become a key driver in predicting equipment maintenance needs, minimising downtime, and maximising efficiency across all facilities.
Rockwell Automation’s solutions offer comprehensive insights into operational metrics, from chemical usage to energy consumption. This data-driven approach ensures that IEUA’s systems are running at peak efficiency, which is crucial given the increasing demand and the challenges of climate change. “The insights we get from our data analytics are invaluable,” Shipley states. “It allows us to proactively address issues before they become major problems, saving time and resources.”
Supporting regional water independence
As the Inland Empire grows, the need for regional water independence becomes increasingly important. By diversifying its water sources, such as expanding recycled water use, enhancing stormwater capture, and investing in desalination technologies, IEUA is working to reduce reliance on imported water. These efforts ensure a more resilient supply for the region and contribute to Southern California’s broader goal of achieving greater water security.
IEUA’s initiatives are part of a larger movement within the state towards self-sufficiency. Collaborative projects like the Chino Basin Program, which focuses on increasing local groundwater production, illustrate the importance of partnerships in tackling the state’s water challenges. These programs have proven that, through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to sustainability, it is possible to navigate the complexities of water scarcity effectively.
A model for sustainable water management
The Inland Empire’s water story involves adaptation, cooperation, and progress. As Southern California continues to grapple with drought and population growth, IEUA stands out as a model of resilience and innovation, using technology to keep pace with demand and lead the way in sustainable water management. From expanding treatment capabilities at RP-5 and leveraging the latest in automation technology to engaging the community and emphasising environmental stewardship, IEUA’s comprehensive approach to water management demonstrates the power of cooperation in achieving sustainable outcomes.
IEUA’s success lies in balancing technological advancement with community involvement and environmental responsibility. By setting ambitious goals and taking concrete steps to achieve them, IEUA ensures that the Inland Empire not only meets today’s water needs but is also prepared for tomorrow’s challenges.
