“What is it? A 12,870m3/d water recycling facility in California, funded by the private sector.“Who is responsible? The City of Santa Paula is the client. Pacific Environmental Resources Corp. (PERC) is the operations contractor. Private equity firm Alinda Capital Partners is the financial partner. Koch Membrane Systems supplied the membrane bioreactor (MBR) system.“Why is it short-listed? The decision by the Californian city of Santa Paula to bring in private sector funding to support its new water reclamation plant shows a bold new direction in the financing of US water infrastructure.“The collapse of the municipal bond market in 2008 made it difficult for US municipalities to raise money. The elegant solution put forward by the PERC/Alinda consortium beat off a cheaper offer from a rival bidder, which involved tax-exempt finance. The higher cost is balanced by a lower risk profile for the municipality, as the construction and operational risk is borne by the private sector.“With US municipalities scrambling to cover budget gaps in the light of declining tax revenues, bringing in private sector funding is suddenly looking like a very attractive option. The Santa Paula deal is a ground-breaking transaction which can be emulated across the United States.”Global Intelligence awards will honor the water company, desalination company, public water agency, desalination deal, water project, thermal desalination plant, membrane desalination plant, water reuse project and industrial water project of the year as well as a sustainability award. The awards ceremony will be held April 29 in Zurich.
Water recycling plant nominated for international Deal of the Year
April 08, 2009
Santa Paula City Council
The City Council learned at a recent meeting that before it’s even finished the city’s water recycling plant has been nominated for an award based on the deal that is creating it.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe City Council learned at a recent meeting that before it’s even finished the city’s water recycling plant has been nominated for an award based on the deal that is creating it. Global Water Intelligence, an international monthly publication, sponsors the award. Santa Paula’s water recycling plant was “named one of the top four finalists” and is the only such nomination from the United States “for this honor,” Greg Boyd of PERC told the Council at the March 30 meeting.According to the Global Intelligence website, annual Global Water Awards recognize what senior executives across the international water industry have acknowledged as the most important achievements of the past year. They are chosen by way of a free vote given to all subscribers to Global Water Intelligence, and Water Desalination Report, as well as to members of the International Private Water Association and the International Desalination Association.The Santa Paula plant is nominated in the Water Deal of the Year category, which recognizes the “the biggest contribution to the advancement of public-private partnerships in the international water sector,” according to Global Water Intelligence. The Water Deal of the Year is for the “deal, contracted in 2008, which has made the biggest contribution to the advancement of public-private partnerships in the international water sector.”Short listed candidates also include Abu Dhabi WWTPs, EBRD loan to Rosvodokanal, and the Riyadh management contract. The nomination in Water Deal of the Year category notes:“Santa Paula Water Recycling Plant -
