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Utilities director briefs Youth Advisory Commission on how Coachella's water and wastewater systems operate
Summary
The city's utilities director explained that Coachella draws 100% of its drinking water from groundwater, described the treatment and distribution systems, and said the city is drilling a new well to meet growth pressures; commissioners asked about irrigation, stormwater and system capacity.
Utilities Director Castillo Estrada gave a detailed overview of Coachella's drinking-water and wastewater systems at the Youth Advisory Commission meeting, saying the city relies on groundwater and operates wells, reservoirs and a treatment plant that together keep tap water flowing and treat return flows.
"We are in the process of drilling another well," Castillo Estrada said, noting the city last built a well roughly in 2008 and must expand supply as demand rises. He described a system that includes multiple wells and three storage reservoirs that together hold roughly 10.5 million gallons, about 120 miles of water mains and about 10,000 service connections.
The presentation walked commissioners through drinking-water treatment steps, including a mild chlorination process, SCADA monitoring to control pumps and chemical feeds, and distribution through mains and service lines. On wastewater, Castillo Estrada described grit removal, biological treatment in oxidation ditches, clarifiers and sludge drying; treated effluent is discharged to the Coachella Valley Storm Channel and ultimately follows the Whitewater River toward the Salton Sea.
Commissioners pressed on distinctions between irrigation and wastewater. Castillo Estrada clarified that, in Coachella, "wastewater are the return flows from domestic use" (sinks, showers, toilets); irrigation and storm runoff are handled by separate stormwater systems and do not enter the sanitary sewer. He also described recurring operational tasks such as inspecting and jetting sewer lines, replacing failing service lines and repairing mainline leaks.
The director emphasized conservation as a long-term strategy to sustain the aquifer and noted that the utilities' SCADA systems provide alarms and automatic controls to maintain chlorine residual, pressure and reservoir levels. He offered to meet with commissioners individually or in small groups for follow-up questions and said residents can learn more at conservecoachella.com.
The presentation closed with staff fielding routine technical questions and the commission thanking the director for the overview.
