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Completed

Inland Empire Brine Line

The Inland Empire Brine Line (Brine Line) is a gravity-pressure pipeline which transports non-reclaimable, brackish (salty) wastewater from the Santa Ana River watershed to a treatment plant owned and operated by Orange County Sanitation District. After treatment in Orange County, the salty water is then discharged into the Pacific Ocean.  

The Santa Ana River Watershed Project Authority, which consists of five water agencies located throughout the watershed, purchased capacity in the Brine Line to fund its construction and support long-term water quality protection. 

Location

Inland Empire

Partners

SBVMWD, EMWD, IEUA, OCWD, WMWD

Impact

Removes 500,000 pounds of salt per day from the watershed

Status

Completed

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Did You Know?

With a 93-mile length and 30 MGD capacity, the Inland Empire Brine Line collects high-salinity wastewater while it makes its way through the upper watershed.

Learn more at SAWPA

Benefits

  • The Brine Line provides a cost- effective and economical solution for the safe disposal of salty wastewater produced as a byproduct of many manufacturing and water treatment processes.  
  • In many inland communities, there are total dissolved solids (TDS) restrictions in place to prevent industries from discharging this type of waste into the municipal sewer system.  
  • The Brine Line provides an alternative which is more economical than trucking salty wastewater out of the region, while also helping businesses comply with regulatory requirements and protecting local water quality.  
  • Brackish water contaminates the quality of the groundwater, which is the largest source of water supplied to the region; by keeping salt out of the river, it is kept from entering the groundwater basins. 

 

Project Impact

Physical Capacity

of 30 million gallons per day

Promotes

water
conservation and protects
ecosystems

Removes

500,000 pounds
of salt per day

Supports

the region’s
economic and social
well-being

Partnerships

A collaborative effort supporting regional water sustainability.