Wastewater Treatment
Beginning in the 1920s up to the late 1950s, the Redlands “Sewer
Farm” (a common term during that time) was located north and west
of the City, on the north side of the Santa Ana River, near
Alabama Street. Up until this time, an acceptable form of
wastewater treatment was the Imhoff Technology. Raw sewage was
placed in an Imhoff Tank where solids are separated from the
liquid. The solids were then transferred to large drying lagoons,
and the liquid portion, without further treatment, was discharged
to the Santa Ana River. Due to the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act of 1948, it was unlawful for any person to discharge
any pollutant to navigable waters.
As a result of these new regulations, the City of Redlands
facility was relocated in the early 1960s to the south side of
the river at the north end of Nevada Street and a secondary
wastewater treatment was constructed. With this method of
treatment the wastewater solids are settled in large tanks and
then removed, dried and disposed of off-site. The liquid
portion is transferred to an activated sludge process where
different chambers within this process help remove conventional
pollutants. The discharge of the treated wastewater was to
be treated in such a degree that disposal to navigable waters or
direct disposal to the groundwater table will not endanger public
health or degrade groundwater quality. Development of
population and water use (i.e., water conservation) have
drastically changed the incoming wastewater matrix to treatment
plants. Consequently, over the years the City of Redlands
has undergone many upgrades to the original wastewater treatment
plant.
The Redlands Wastewater Treatment Facility is located on
approximately 50 acres. The facility currently employs a staff of
25 on a continuous basis. The City’s wastewater treatment
facility has a rated treatment capacity of 9.5 million gallons
per day annual dry weather flow. Approximately 6 million
gallons of that capacity is in a membrane bioreactor system, the
remaining 3.5 million gallons is in a conventional activated
sludge process.
Below you will find information on our Laboratory, Collection System and Liquid Waste Hauler Disposal Services.
Laboratory
The City of Redlands operates a certified environmental laboratory for monitoring its drinking water supply and wastewater effluent. The laboratory is certified by the State Water Resources Control Board under Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP). The laboratory has two objectives: First, the laboratory provides information to the operational staff of the City’s water and wastewater treatment facilities, and sanitary landfill. Second, the laboratory provides monitoring information to the State of California’s environmental regulatory agencies. The laboratory staff is trained in highly technical testing procedures, and uses sophisticated instrumentation, such as ion chromatography and total organic carbon, to perform required laboratory analysis.
The City’s laboratory is located in the Training Center Building at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The laboratory is in operation every day of the year to provide the laboratory analyses and reports required for daily water and wastewater operations to meet all regulatory standards. The laboratory is currently staffed by a Laboratory Manager and four Laboratory Analysts.
The City’s laboratory operates cost-effectively and responsively to meet the joint needs of the City’s three municipal utilities: water, wastewater, and solid waste (landfill), to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for safe drinking water, for a high degree of wastewater treatment and disposal, and protection of groundwater quality.
Wastewater Collection System
The City owns and operates a Publicly Owned Treatment Works which includes a wastewater collection system that consists of approximately 250 miles of gravity pipelines, ranging from 6 inches to 48 inches in diameter. Dischargers into the wastewater collection system include residential, commercial, and industrial sources thorough approximately 20,000 private lateral connections.
To overcome hydraulic challenges, a portion of the wastewater collection system is diverted to a lift station that receives an average flow of 3.0 Million Gallons per Day (MGD), and has a maximum capacity of 7.8 MGD. The sewage flow from the lift station is pumped through a pressure force main that is 12 and 14 inches in diameter and approximately 3.5 miles in length. Discharges into the wastewater collection system are conveyed to the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) which was constructed in 1963.
State Water Resources Control Board Order No. WQ 2022-0103-DWQ requires wastewater collection agencies to have a Sewer System Emergency Response Plan (SERP). Under this order, City employees are required to report all wastewater overflows found and to take the appropriate action to secure the wastewater overflow area, properly report to the appropriate regulatory agencies, relieve the cause of the overflow, and ensure that the affected area is cleaned as soon as possible to minimize health hazards to the public and protect the environment. As such, the City’s goal is to respond to sewer system overflows as soon as possible following notification and in accordance with the City’s SERP.
Redlands Sewer System Emergency Response Plan
Redlands Sewer System Management Plans (SSMP) 2023
Liquid Waste Hauler Disposal Services
At the forefront of responsible waste management, the City of Redlands is pleased to offer comprehensive disposal services for liquid waste haulers.
With a commitment to sustainability and community well-being, our disposal services provide a convenient and efficient solution for businesses and organizations in need of liquid waste disposal. Whether you’re a local contractor, industrial facility, or municipal entity, we’re here to meet your disposal needs with professionalism and expertise.
Obtain a permit with us to ensure proper disposal of liquid waste while contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment for our community and beyond. Contact us today at (909) 798-7527 ext. 7329 to learn more about our disposal services and how we can assist you in managing your liquid waste responsibly.