San Clemente staff recommend seeking grants for recycled‑water quality upgrade amid high cost estimates

San Clemente staff briefed the council on a proposed recycled‑water quality improvement project that would install a microfiltration–reverse osmosis (MFRO) side‑stream at the wastewater plant to lower total dissolved solids (TDS) in the city’s recycled water.

Why it matters: staff said the city’s current recycled‑water TDS is about 1,350 parts per million (ppm), above the 1,200‑ppm target in some customer permits and higher than groundwater/metropolitan supply. The MFRO project would lower blended recycled water to roughly 800 ppm and increase the city’s supply available for reuse and for sale to partners.

Costs and funding: staff reported that earlier cost estimates of about $13 million have been revised upward to roughly $21 million because of material‑cost inflation. The city has obtained about $700,000 in state Prop 1 grant funds; staff recommended aggressively pursuing additional grants and alternative approaches to reduce TDS rather than moving straight to construction.

Council reaction and next steps: staff said project design exists but the project remains on the shelf pending funding. Staff recommended continued grant pursuit and permit discussions, and also noted that desalination could help reduce TDS in the system if pursued.