BACKGROUND

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) was originally formed as the Chino Basin Municipal Water District in 1950 to supply several communities with supplemental imported water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The Agency has since expanded. Today, IEUA operates a regional sewer collection system for 11 communities and is a major provider of recycled water for irrigation and various other uses.

The sewer collection system covers 242 square miles in southern California’s western San Bernardino County, serving about 935,000 residents in the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Upland, Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD) in the city of Rancho Cucamonga, and several unincorporated areas. Those communities operate their own collection systems and then discharge wastewater into IEUA’s interceptors.

IEUA’s system includes more than 135 miles of sewer mains, 90 miles of interceptors, 2,356 manholes, five lift stations, and five regional water recycling plants that handle more than 55 million gallons of wastewater per day.

SUMMARY

Adopting smart sewer technology has enhanced IEUA’s ability to see inside its system and gain data-driven insights that effectively help pinpoint infrastructure issues. IEUA has been able to achieve significant cost savings by optimizing the allocation of resources, equipment, and personnel.

One major benefit of IEUA’s smart sewer technology occurred during Tropical Storm Hilary in 2023. A unit was in a high-FOG area and an alarm warned of rising water levels in a nearby manhole. Surcharging was discovered and IEUA personnel were able to clean out the pipes before a backup and spill occurred.

Interested in finding out how our SmartCover solutions can work for you? Reach out to sales@smartcoversystems.com or call (855) 291-1980.