With the goal of creating an independent, drought-proof local water supply for San Diego residents, Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer won unanimous City Council approval April 10 for the environmental impact report for the first phase of the Pure Water San Diego recycling program.
Pure Water San Diego is the City’s phased, multi-year program that will provide one-third of San Diego’s water supply locally by 2035. The program will use proven water purification technology to clean recycled water to produce safe drinking water.
It is one of the major sustainability projects that support the City’s Climate Action Plan. The program will eventually recycle up to 83 million gallons of wastewater per day. The Pure Water program also would divert wastewater flows away from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, which treats wastewater before it’s piped into the ocean. That would allow for a higher level of treatment for wastewater and negate the need to convert the Point Loma plant to secondary treatment that could cost ratepayers billions of dollars.
The first phase of Pure Water – scheduled to open in 2021 – would expand the City’s potable water production capacity by 30 million gallons per day to replace the use of imported water. It calls for new construction, upgrades to existing facilities and construction of new pump stations and pipelines. The new North City Pure Water Facility would be constructed on a city-owned parcel east of Interstate 805 and north of Eastgate Mall – across from the existing North City Water Reclamation Plant.
The second and third phases of Pure Water will build water facilities and pipelines in the Central Area and South Bay, respectively.
“This is a major step forward as we chart a path toward water independence for San Diego,” Faulconer said.
“Today’s vote is all about establishing a local water supply that San Diegans can rely on regardless of future drought conditions,” said Vic Bianes, the City’s Public Utilities Director.