Manteca will be a step closer to accomplishing a major water supply expansion when work is completed on the final link of a gravity flow wastewater trunk line beneath Woodward Avenue.
There is less than a half mile section of the gravity flow line left to be put in place between Union Road and South Main Street.
That work starts June 1 and is expected to take up to a year.
Once that is in place, wastewater will flow from the neighborhoods around Woodward Park and all homes and development to the west to the treatment plant in the new gravity line.
The existing forced sewer line that requires lift stations to move wastewater will then be repurposed for recycled water that will move by gravity from west to east.
The line will be cleaned before it is put into service.
Once the line is repurposed, the city will be able to use recycled water to irrigate the 52-acre Woodward Park as well other large areas near Woodward Avenue such as the turf at Veritas School and various city parks such as Terra Bella, Antiqua, Charles Palmer, Dutra Southeast Park, Bella Vista Park, and Dutra Estates Park.
It will also mean new development south of the 120 Bypass that has been required to put purple pipe in place to irrigate future parks as well as common landscaping such as along sound walls will be able to access recycled water as well.
The ability to take Woodward Park and other neighborhood parks in the area off shallow irrigation wells will be a boon to city efforts to conserve water.
Any water that the city uses — included those pumped from non-potable wells used exclusively for irrigation — count toward its water use.
Newer parks that have the cost of irrigating them wrapped up in landscape maintenance district assessments levied each year on homes within the neighborhood would see a reduction in costs. Even if the city charged for the water, it would eliminate the need to use electricity to operate wells. It would also eliminate the need to ultimately place wells due to wear and tear that can be a costly undertaking.
Manteca hatched the plan nearly 30 years ago.
The gravity line has been constructed in segments by developers as new neighborhoods were put in place.
The elimination of pumps to move sewer will reduce electricity costs for wastewater operations as well.
The city used recycled wastewater for years. It was applied to corn grown on city-owned land around the wastewater treatment plant that was leased to a farmer. The corn was used for silage for dairy cows.
Manteca also has a four-mile Eckert’s line that has been used for more than roughly two decades to transport agricultural waste water from washing bell peppers to a pond at the treatment plant where it is then applied to crops that thrive using the nitrate laden water.
In the future should Eckert’s no longer need the line, it could be reversed to carry treated water to water various parks located near the line.
Purple is the universal designation for pipe and water faucets that carry water for irrigation only.
The city eventually plans to convert as many large areas such as parks as economically feasible to irrigate using treated wastewater.
It is common practice in Southern California especially in desert communities such as Palm Springs where everything from golf courses to parks are kept green that way.
Manteca in 2023 adopted a recycled waste water master plan.
Master plan consultants initially identified the best candidates for using recycled wastewater from the Manteca treatment plant are the municipal golf course, Big League Dreams, the proposed family entertainment zone, Sierra High and Brock Elliott School.
The five locations are part of what the report refers to as “core local demands.”
It would require just one pump and the least amount of pipeline to get-up and running after the connection is made to the existing Woodward gravity flow line when it is repurposed for recycled water.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
