On Thursday, April 18, Council Member Dr.G (Dr. Luis S González) hosted a tour of the RIX Facility on Agua Mansa and invited members of the Colton Utilities Commission and Planning Commission.
Now serving on the RIX Board (Rapid Infiltration and Extraction) Dr.G had interest in how that facility works, and how it contributes to the overall processing of wastewater in the City of Colton. The Commissioners were invited to see the facility located at 1990 Agua Mansa Road, and see this “tertiary” process up close, including filtration (through sand beds) and disinfection (through powerful radiation lamps) before being sent out to the Santa Ana River.
The word “tertiary” is important as the City’s own Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is responsible for the primary and secondary treatments of wastewater coming from Colton, Grand Terrace and a few parts of San Bernardino County. For primary treatment, the wastewater (effluent) is conveyed to the WWTP and is first cleaned out by removing the “big stuff.” The secondary treatment cleans the effluent by separating the particles followed by the addition of microbes to kill bacteria. At that point the “cleaned” effluent to sent downhill to the RIX facility for final tertiary treatment.
“I always felt that tours like this, when conducted by people who work on-site, are valuable because they provide so much insight that most people don’t realize,” said Commissioner Eric Strutz, who added, “This process was very interesting to see.” Commissioner Tish Baden also commented, “It’s nice to learn about the process of treating wastewater, and how the RIX facility ties into the City’s own treatment plant.”
Leading the tour was a team of experts from the RIX Joint Powers Authority (JPA) as well as water/wastewater specialists from the San Bernardino Water Department. The RIX facility is owned and operated by the JPA, which is an agreement authority between The City of San Bernardino (80%) and the City of Colton (20%). Dr.G now sits on this Board, along with Mr. Brian Dickinson, Colton’s Director of Utilities.
Built in 1994, the RIX facility has served both cities well, in that it meets all “stringent” legal requirements for treating wastewater, and releases clean water after treatment into the Santa Ana River, thus supporting the needs of several downstream cities and protecting the habitat of endangered species, such as the Santa Ana Sucker Fish.
This was a great opportunity for all the commissioners, and an effective collaboration among several agencies who are responsible for the maintenance and security of this facility, and this process. The participants are to be congratulated for taking the time to learn about this important aspect of city services.
For more information about CITY TALK, various community groups, Colton history, the trash clean-up project, the G-Team, prayer list, history briefs, Veteran Spotlight, Church Spotlight, Business Spotlight, U.S. Flag watch, neighborhood meetings, community projects and events, or the online live-stream programs, text or call Dr. G @ 909-213-3730. Dr. G is the founder of CITY TALK, a City Council Member and well-known community advocate. Questions and comments are always welcome.