Director of Public Works Dave Klotzel led a walkthrough of the City of Camarillo’s desalter facility at the corner of Las Pulsas and Lewis Roads, describing how groundwater is treated and prepared for distribution to homes and businesses.

Klotzel said the facility receives brackish groundwater from a basin about a mile away and begins treatment in a contact basin where chemical pretreatment takes place. "Here we are at the first step in the treatment process, the contact basin," he said, describing that step as preparation for later treatment.

He described the next stage as pressure filtration: water is pushed through filters containing layers of gravel, sand and anthracite. "Each filter tank has 3 separate compartments that operate independently," Klotzel said, a design he said allows maintenance on one compartment while the others continue to operate.

At the core of the system, Klotzel said, water moves through reverse osmosis membranes that remove salt and other impurities. "Reverse osmosis, or RO, technology has been used to treat water for more than 60 years," he said, explaining the membranes allow primarily water molecules to pass and leave salts and particles behind.

Because RO produces very pure water, Klotzel said the city adds a small amount of minerals back into the treated water before delivery. He summarized the final step: the treated, remineralized water is pumped into the city distribution system to reach homes and businesses throughout Camarillo.

On the handling of brine, Klotzel described a dedicated pipeline that carries leftover salty water out to the ocean. "It travels through a special pipeline out into the ocean where it's released and diluted far offshore so it won't harm marine life," he said. The tour transcript does not include supporting environmental studies, permit details, monitoring plans, or third-party assessments for that discharge.

Klotzel also identified an on-site desalter learning center intended for community and student education on watershed protection and the value of water. He closed the presentation by thanking listeners for joining what he called "this journey to clean, safe water."