A construction project on San Luis Obispo's Water Resource Recovery Facility is underway that will replace aging infrastructure with modern, energy-efficient technology.
Utilities Deputy Director of Engineering & Planning Miguel Barcenas told the SLO City Council on Tuesday that after years of hard work, construction is nearly complete.
“I’m happy to report that after three years of construction, the project is within budget,” Barcenas said. “We’re about 75% complete.”
The project is expected to be finished by December 2023. It’s supported by a grant of over $140 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
Barcenas said looking forward, newly-installed upgrades like membrane bioreactors and ultraviolet technology will bring major improvements to the plant.
“We’re going to be able to provide high quality recycled water and water to the creek,” Barcenas said. “That also means we’re going to be using less chemicals.”
Planners and crews for the project have faced several hurdles over the last three years, including the Covid-19 pandemic, material shortages, and the impacts of war on imports. Barcenas said the biggest challenge of all has been the age of the plant, which was first constructed nearly a century ago.
“We’re dealing with a 100 year old plant,” Barcenas said, “At construction meetings we refer to this as doing open heart surgery while running a marathon.”
You can learn more about the SLO Water Resource Facility Recovery project at slocity.org.
