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Harvest Water

Harvest Water, California’s largest agricultural water recycling project, will provide reliable, high-quality recycled water to agricultural lands and existing habitats in southern Sacramento County.
When complete, Harvest Water will supply up to 50,000 acre-feet, which is roughly 16 billion gallons, of drought-resistant recycled water each year and bring other lasting benefits to the region.
Construction ahead

What to Expect During Construction

The Harvest Water conveyance system will be constructed through six different projects featuring a new pumping station, a series of pipeline packages, and service connection improvements to control delivery of water to the agricultural customers. Contractor mobilization began in late 2023 with construction activities scheduled to start in early 2024 and continue into 2027.

Harvest Water Benefits

Harvest Water will promote natural groundwater recovery, boost sustainable agriculture, and strengthen existing local habitats in southern Sacramento County, where declining groundwater levels are impacting water sustainability and ecosystem health.


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Facilitates Groundwater Recovery

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Allows for use of recycled water instead of pumped groundwater for irrigation


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Raises local groundwater levels by up to 35 feet over 15 years


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Increases regional and state water supply reliability


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Expands groundwater capacity by approximately 370,000 acre-feet, which is about one-third the capacity of Folsom Lake


Boosts Sustainable
Agriculture

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Delivers up to 50,000 acre-feet per year of reliable recycled water—equivalent to 24,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—to irrigate more than 16,000 acres of agricultural lands


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Restores and manages groundwater in partnership with area landowners, farmers, and ranchers


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Stabilizes water supply for the region’s farms, ranches, and rural landscapes


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Supports agriculture in and around the program area


Strengthens Local 
Habitats

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Improves groundwater conditions to provide a healthy water supply to over 5,000 acres of riparian and wetland habitats


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Enhances habitats for a variety of threatened species, including Sandhill Crane, Swainson’s Hawk, and Giant Garter Snake


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Increases streamflow in the Cosumnes River, supporting a longer migration window for Chinook Salmon


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Reduces salinity in the Sacramento and Delta waterways


Project Map

Timeline

  • 2011-2012: Feasibility Study
  • 2015-2020: Program Planning
  • 2020-2021: Design Reports
  • 2021-2023: Final Design
  • 2023-2027: Construction
  • 2027-Ongoing: Operational

Harvest Water is located roughly between Interstate 5 and Highway 99, and south of the City of Elk Grove and north of Twin Cities Road and the Cosumnes River Preserve.

Background

Harvest Water is a significant part of SacSewer’s goal to increase recycled water delivery in the Sacramento region. As part of our mission to protect public health and the environment, we not only treat collected sewage, but we also recover resources such as biosolids, energy from biogas, and recycled water that can benefit the region. Being a proponent and practitioner of water recycling is a key part of our work.

Farmers preparing land and fertilising

Since 2003, we have delivered recycled water to areas of western Elk Grove for landscape and park irrigation. More recently, in 2020, we began supplying recycled water for use in the cooling towers at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Campbell Power Plant in the City of Sacramento.

 

Harvest Water’s beginnings can be traced to 2004, when we set a long-term goal to increase recycled water deliveries by up to 40 million gallons per day. At the time, a water recycling opportunities study identified the delivery of recycled water to agricultural lands in southern Sacramento County as a viable alternative to help achieve those goals. Soon after, we began a planning effort known as the South County Ag Project. Those initial studies and activities began a comprehensive development process that eventually evolved into the current Harvest Water program.

Along the way, critical regulatory decisions helped make Harvest Water a reality. In 2010, SacSewer received a stringent new discharge permit for its treated sewage that required significant improvements to its treatment processes. The result was a $1.7 billion facility upgrade, called the EchoWater Project , which was completed in 2023. Tertiary-treated water produced by the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility located near Elk Grove now meets water quality standards for unrestricted recycled water uses, including the irrigation of food crops. This greatly increases the amount of water we can provide for recycled water uses.
Harvest Water also reinforces SacSewer’s commitment to creating a new water management option by reducing the amount of treated water released into the Sacramento River and instead using it for beneficial reuse purposes in the region.

Partners

As a leader in environmental sustainability, SacSewer is proud to be leading Harvest Water in close collaboration with a wide variety of regional partners.
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Funding

The California Water Commission awarded Harvest Water $291.8 million in Proposition 1 grant funding through the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) to help make Harvest Water a reality for the Sacramento region. WSIP funding was awarded based on the public benefits the project provided through a rigorous and competitive review process.

Harvest Water has also been awarded a $30 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.

 

Additional funding sources are also being pursued to help cover construction and operational costs.

EcoPlan

SacSewer has been working with local landowners, stakeholders, partners, and wildlife professionals to develop the Harvest Water EcoPlan.

 

The EcoPlan is a carefully designed framework, driven by local engagement with the agricultural community, for achieving and monitoring the water quality and ecosystem benefits associated with the Proposition 1 Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) funding.

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