Date of Award

6-9-2016

Document Type

Thesis - SCU Access Only

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2016.

Department

Civil Engineering

First Advisor

Stephen Chiesa

Abstract

Over the past few years, California has been experiencing a severe drought which has induced many of its lakes and rivers to recede to critically low water levels. The drought has also instigated a deficiency of ground water, as the water table throughout California has been reduced to record low levels. In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown passed a bill that mandated 25% reduction in domestic water consumption and even larger restrictions for agricultural uses. If this drought continues in its severity, Governor Brown may be forced to enact new legislation that would have towns recycle their waste water to compensate for the severe lack of hygienic water supplies. Since California’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture, the drought is extremely problematic and so proactive solutions are needed to avoid excess water shortages. California grows food not just for ourselves but for various parts of the nation and the world. Consequently, our inability to adequately produce crops has repercussions felt around the globe. For our project, we have decided to undertake a solution to this problem by designing a water reclamation facility designed to accommodate the town of Woodland, California. Woodland is located in Yolo County and is roughly twenty miles Northwest of Sacramento. It is a midsized town of just over 60,000 residents and is surrounded by farmland. Since Woodland is in a predominantly agricultural community, it may be in peril of having a water shortage or other emergency measures being enacted as a result of the drought. To avoid such a fate, we have decided to design a water reclamation facility so that the water consumed by the townspeople on a daily basis will be recycled and treated to a level suitable for the irrigation of local crops.

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