Recycled Water Master Plan

The City of Rio Rancho’s (City) Recycled Water Master Plan is an ongoing program to reduce the consumption of potable water and reduce or eliminate the discharge to the Rio Grande by providing treated wastewater for irrigation and aquifer recharge. The aquifer recharge reduces the need to acquire water rights needed for potable water consumption by treating the City’s wastewater to drinking water standards and injecting the treated water back into the aquifer.  The overall program was initiated in 2001 and construction began in 2009 consisting of seven phases; including Phase 6 – Equipping of the Advanced Water Facility.  Huitt-Zollars’ Team members have been a part of all facets of the City’s Recycled Water Master Plan.  

Huitt-Zollars was responsible for the redesign / equipping of this 1 MGD recycled water aquifer injection project for the City.  Huitt-Zollars re-evaluated treatment options to determine the best available technology that would fit into the existing building, while protecting public health and the water resource through a new advanced pilot testing program. Subsequent to the new pilot testing, Huitt-Zollars redesigned and oversaw the construction of the facility utilizing an advanced oxidation process (AOP) in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide for treating recycled wastewater received from a membrane bioreactor facility at Wastewater Treatment Plant No.6. After leaving the AOP, the treated water passes through a granular activated carbon filter system, 1 micron absolute filtration, and membrane degassers  before being injected into the receiving aquifer. This process is used extensively for drinking water treatment and specifically used for this project in order to provide future aquifer storage and recovery benefits.  The direct injection facility consists of one, deep injection well of 1,700 feet (by others) and equipped with a 300 HP pump and variable frequency.