West Basin approves RO membrane procurement to meet stricter industrial reuse standards

West Basin approves RO membrane procurement to meet stricter industrial reuse standardsThe California utility will purchase 852 reverse osmosis membranes from Toray Membrane USA for the Juanita Millender-McDonald Carson Regional Water Recycling Plant after a new off-taker agreement introduced tighter water quality parameters.

The $396,200 contract with Toray Membrane USA includes the rapid delivery of 852 RO membranes to replace aging units in two of the plant's four trains.

The replacement was triggered by a new service agreement with Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company that took effect in October 2025, mandating more stringent water quality for low-pressure boiler feed water.

Toray secured the contract over competing qualified supplier LG Water Solutions by committing to a one-day delivery lead time, earning a 14.75% evaluative discount during the bidding process.

West Basin Municipal Water District's Board of Directors has authorized the $396,200 procurement of 852 reverse osmosis (RO) membranes from Toray Membrane USA for the Juanita Millender-McDonald Carson Regional Water Recycling Plant (JMMCRWRP). The purchase, approved during the board's March 23 meeting, aims to bring the facility into compliance with updated industrial reuse standards. The JMMCRWRP treats Title 22 disinfected-tertiary water from the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility, utilizing microfiltration and RO to produce low-pressure boiler feed water for Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company's (TRMC) Carson Refinery. While the plant's four RO trains were fully equipped with new membranes in late 2022, a new off-taker agreement with TRMC took effect in October 2025, introducing more stringent water quality requirements. According to district staff, the three-and-a-half-year-old membranes in two of the trains were experiencing typical performance decline and could no longer meet the new contractual parameters, despite operational adjustments coordinated with TRMC. The expedited replacement of 792 active membranes and 60 spares is necessary to maintain compliance, with the $396,200 cost covered by the refinery's $3.14 million annual fixed payments. The district issued an Invitation for Quotes in February 2026 to three pre-qualified suppliers: Toray Membrane USA, Hydranautics, and LG Water Solutions. Because the facility was actively failing to meet the new boiler feed water quality requirements, West Basin structured the procurement to heavily incentivize expedited delivery, offering a 0.25% evaluation discount for every day a vendor could beat the maximum 60-day delivery window. Toray secured the award over LG Water Solutions by committing to a one-day delivery lead time following purchase order execution. This rapid turnaround earned Toray a 14.75% evaluation discount, bringing its evaluated bid below LG's, despite LG receiving a 3% local business enterprise preference. To ensure compliance, Toray will face liquidated damages of $8,600 for each day delivery extends beyond the committed date. Toray was also the only participating vendor to indicate its product was compliant with the Build America, Buy America Act.