May 6, 2024

HIGHLAND, C.A. – Balfour Beatty and the East Water Valley District (EWVD) celebrates a fully operational wastewater recycling facility at Sterling Natural Resource Center which serves approximately 650,000 customers in Highland and portions of the City and County of San Bernardino. A ceremony was held on May 3 to commemorate the reclamation facility’s newly functioning capabilities which includes treating up to eight million gallons of wastewater per day (mgd) and mitigating drought conditions in the community by replenishing the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin.

“Our commitment to operational excellence throughout the entire design-build process showcases the extensive expertise and value our team and partners bring to wastewater projects in our communities,” said Tom Murray, Balfour Beatty area operations manager in the West. “I commend our workforce and all those involved in providing an innovative solution for the thousands of residents who will benefit from EWVD’s water treatment processes and services.”

Balfour Beatty served as design-build contractor and partnered with Arcadis, lead designer and engineer-of-record, Ruhnau Clark Architects, architect-of-record, and Anaergia, project co-digestion lead, to deliver SNRC’s wastewater treatment facility and administration center which opened in 2022.

Water recycled at the SNRC will undergo a rigorous treatment process using state-of-the-art technology before being recharged into the local groundwater supply where it will go through the natural water cycle again. The treatment facility integrates advanced membrane bioreactors (MBR) and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technologies to reduce the overall wastewater treatment footprint.

The project team also delivered extensive state-of-the-art vessel systems to “scrub” the air and remove odor from the facility, enabling SNRC to be a good neighbor to the community, as well as providing outdoor green spaces and picnic areas in addition to the indoor community.

“This is a monumental milestone for our community and region,” said Michael Moore, EWVD General Manager/CEO. “A progressive design build partnership was formed with Balfour Beatty, Arcadis and many other talented companies and individuals who made this project a reality. The design-build team collaborated to meet a variety of challenges to improve our water resiliency for several generations.”

The SNRC will also be able to use co-digestion technology to transform imported organic waste into renewable electricity and a potential to use the material that remains after energy generation to produce fertilizer.

Situated on a 20-acre parcel of land, the SNRC’s wastewater treatment facility is located on the eastern property and the community center is located on the western parcel. For more information on SNRC please visit eastvalley.org/SNRC.