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City of Clovis Recycled Water Project

The State Water Resources Control Board is encouraging recycled water projects throughout the State of California. By building-out the Recycled Water Master Plan, Clovis will be able to meet its projected water needs in the next 25-30 years, while protecting its precious groundwater resource, reducing historic groundwater overdraft, and enhancing groundwater recharge.

In early 2009, the City began operating its own state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant and water recycling distribution system. The Clovis Water Reuse Facility is located on approximately 16 acres of property north of Ashlan and west of McCall Avenues.

In light of projected water balance needs, Clovis recognizes the importance of recycled water as a much needed new water source. The wastewater treatment plant will ultimately produce 9,400 acre-feet of "disinfected tertiary treated recycled water" annually through a membrane bioreactor facility. The Recycled Water System will then carry this highly-treated water to irrigate green belts, median islands, parks, trails and paseos, State Route 168, and agricultural operations throughout the City.

What's New

Water Reuse Facility Brochure

General information about the development of the Clovis Water Reuse Facility. Adobe .pdf document (1MB)

Construction Progress

Purpose and Need

Recycled Water – A New Water Supply - Until recently, groundwater had been the sole water supply for the City of Clovis since 1913. But groundwater is not a sustainable water supply and overdraft in the regional aquifer resulted in groundwater levels dropping over 100 feet in the last 50 years. Wells were going dry due to dropping water levels and the well field infrastructure was threatened by contamination of natural and man-made chemicals.

In 1972, Clovis obtained access to surface water from the Fresno Irrigation District (FID). Some of that water is used to recharge groundwater supplies; some is sent to the Surface Water Treatment Plant, which was completed in 2004, where it is treated and distributed as high-quality drinking water. Additionally, some of the FID surface water remains untreated and is used to irrigate City of Clovis parks and other common areas.

Water that can be treated to potable (drinkable) standards is a resource that is limited in supply and should therefore be reserved for the highest human uses whenever possible. That is why the City of Clovis has taken steps to develop a new water supply that is perfect for landscape irrigation and industrial applications. That new, sustainable water supply is highly-treated recycled water.

The construction of the Water Reuse Facility and the treated water distribution system is funded by bonds which will be repaid by new development fees.