Plant No. 2 is located in south Huntington Beach along the coast and could potentially be affected by tidal inundation, extreme wave events, and storm water runoff. In 2019 OC San completed a Climate Resiliency Study to evaluate just that. This study included recommendations for adaptations and compared them with the replacement cost of the facility in case of flooding damage. OC San is one of the first wastewater agencies to do such a study and it provided us guidance to adopt a phased approach and incorporate the costs of adapting solutions into our 20-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plan. One of the recommendations in the Resiliency Study is for the construction of a flood wall. This flood wall is intended to protect our facilities against storm surge, sea-level rise, and tsunami. Currently, OC San relies on a natural buffer that includes a wetland, a state highway and a beach between our plant and ocean. In addition, we have established managed retreats based on the possibilities of tsunamis and have identified locations throughout our plant for safety. A flood wall project is included in our CIP for added protection to our facility, it will be through a two phased approach as part and will be constructed by 2035.
OC San views sea level rise to be a long-term risk to our facilities, therefore several important modifications to our facilities are built into our CIP projects throughout our treatment plants and at our pump stations There are some adaptations that should be implemented immediately, while others that can be implemented in the future during planned refurbishment and replacement. One example of the former is to establish a new guideline to OC San’s Engineering Design Guideline to ensure that climate change consideration is included in all new and rehabilitation projects, something OC San has already done.
As the regional wastewater agency, we are responsible for ensuring comprehensive protection from various threats to our wastewater and reclamation facilities. With the OC San’s Board of Director’s guidance, we have a strong rehabilitation and replacement program that ensures we are thinking ahead and preparing for the future.
Read the full OC Register article “State report raises fresh alarms over sea-level rise”.