Fillmore Water Recycling Plant, California

What is it?

A 9,084m³/d state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant serving the City of Fillmore. The plant features a zero liquid discharge membrane bio-reactor, as well as a UV treatment phase.

Who is responsible?

American Water and Boyle Engineering (now part of AECOM) designed and built the $42.5 million plant, and American Water is currently operating it under a 20-year DBO contract.

What makes it special?

• Fillmore is an inspiring example of what regulatory drivers can achieve in the US. Faced with having to improve the quality of the treated effluent it discharges to the Santa Clara River, the City of Fillmore aimed for the very pinnacle of water reuse.

• The plant produces 3,785m³/d of treated effluent suitable for unrestricted reuse. 3,028m³/d of that amount is used for groundwater recharge, with the balance used for the irrigation of green areas - a luxury in Southern California.

• The city’s choice of a DBO procurement method gave clear scope for the plant to be delivered to a rapid timescale, typifying how public-private partnerships can contribute to successfully meeting the infrastructure needs of the US.