Agoura Road plant could change drinking water

A new water plant on Agoura Road is moving from planning to construction, with local agencies saying it will turn highly treated wastewater into part of the area’s drinking supply. (theacorn.com) The Advanced Water Purification Facility broke ground on April 10 at 30800 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills, on Las Virgenes Municipal Water District property near the Westlake Village border. The joint project is being built by Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and Triunfo Water & Sanitation District. (theacorn.com) Project officials put the total cost at $466 million, while the treatment plant itself is estimated at about $304 million. The facility is expected to serve about 105,000 customers in the combined service area. (valleynewsgroup.com) The plant will take recycled water from the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility and run it through microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with advanced oxidation before sending it to Las Virgenes Reservoir. There, it will mix with imported water before reentering the distribution system to homes and businesses. (valleynewsgroup.com) Las Virgenes officials say the project is tied to both water supply and water-quality rules. General Manager Dave Pederson told KCLU that newer Malibu Creek discharge regulations would have cost more than $100 million to meet under the old system without adding a new water source. (kclu.org) District leaders say the new plant could cut the area’s dependence on imported State Water Project supplies by about 30%. Board Vice President Jay Lewitt said the district has been fully dependent on imported water until now. (theacorn.com) Construction is scheduled to continue through 2028 or 2029, depending on the project element, with operations projected to begin in early 2030. Thousand Oaks says pipeline work connected to the project will start in March 2026 and run through parts of Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, bringing detours, traffic controls and some trail closures. (toaks.gov) The treatment site itself has been in public documents since at least October 2024, when the joint powers authority said the Agoura Road facility would purify recycled water to exceed drinking water standards. Agoura Hills lists the Pure Water Project among city updates, and its public calendar shows City Council and Planning Commission meetings this month. (ourpureh2o.com) (agourahillscity.gov) Rate questions are already part of the backdrop. Las Virgenes Municipal Water District says new 2026 billing rates are now in effect and points customers to its 2025 rate study for details on how water and wastewater charges were set. (lvmwd.gov 1) (lvmwd.gov 2) If the project stays on schedule, the water reaching local taps in 2030 will still be blended reservoir water — but more of it will start its trip on Agoura Road instead of 400 miles away. (kclu.org) (theacorn.com)