After interviewing five engineering firms for its Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project facilities, Southern California-based Fallbrook Public Utilities District has selected a team led by Infrastructure Engineering Corporation (IEC). The IEC team includes SPI as a subconsultant.

The overall program involves the adaptive management of surface water and groundwater resources through the diversion of Santa Margarita River surface waters to groundwater percolation ponds and the active use of groundwater aquifers for water storage. This specific project involves treatment by reverse osmosis and distribution of groundwater extraction, which will vary from 0 to 8 MGD (0-30,280 m3/d) based on the previous year’s precipitation.

The project’s reverse osmosis system, which will be designed by SPI, will desalt up to one-half of the 8 MGD water supply to meet the final product water treatment objectives. Vice President Alex Wesner will manage SPI’s design effort.