Water Treatment

Long Beach Utilities currently oversees about 30 active wells and performs water quality monitoring for each active well annually.

City of Long Beach Groundwater Treatment Plant As required under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments, a source water assessment must be completed for all active drinking water sources. The goal of the source water assessment is to inventory all potential activities that may degrade the quality of the source water.

Long Beach has a state-of-the-art groundwater treatment plant and four water quality laboratories that are certified by the state with Environmental Laboratory Accreditation.

Treatment Process

The City of Long Beach enjoys very high quality drinking water. Our water undergoes a multi-stage treatment process and rigorous testing to ensure it meets strict federal and state standards.

The treatment process consists of a series of steps:

  1. Raw water is pumped from our source wells to our Groundwater Treatment Plant.
  2. Special water treatment chemicals, known as coagulants, are added to the water. The particles in the water stick to one another (called “floc”), making them heavy enough to settle into the bottom of the basin.
  3. Sediment is removed from the bottom of the basin.
  4. Chlorine is added for disinfection.
  5. The water is filtered through layers of fine coal and silicate sand.
  6. As smaller, suspended particles are removed, clear water emerges.
  7. Chlorine and ammonia are added again as a precaution against any bacteria that may still be present. We carefully monitor the amount of chloramine, adding the lowest quantity necessary to protect the safety of your water without compromising taste.
  8. Fluoride (used to prevent tooth decay) is added and the pH is adjusted to protect distribution system pipes.
  9. The water is pumped to drinking water reservoirs and into your neighborhood, home and business.

Field Testing

LBUD conducts weekly testing throughout the city at dedicated sites in the water distribution system and additional testing on the water from its groundwater wells and finished or treated water storage reservoirs. Our water quality experts continuously sample our water to ensure the water meets all regulatory standards. We conduct tens of thousands of tests each year to determine the presence of any radioactive, biological, inorganic, volatile organic, or synthetic organic contaminants.

 

 

Back to top