Water industry leaders, elected officials, and representatives of the East County Advanced Water Purification Project representatives broke ground at the future site of a treatment facility projected to purify 11.5 million gallons of water daily once completed.
The project was approved on May 19 by the East County AWP Joint Powers Authority, which owns and operates the program, and is a collaborative partnership between four agencies: Padre Dam, the city of El Cajon, and the county of San Diego, and the Helix Water District. The overall cost for the project is $950 million and is estimated to create 2,500 jobs in the region.
“Today marks an exciting moment for our East San Diego County customers!” said Allen Carlisle, Padre Dam, and JPA Administrator CEO/General Manager. “We are now one step closer to creating a local, reliable, and sustainable drinking water source that will reduce our dependence on increasingly expensive imported water. The East County Advanced Water Purification Program is a smart investment that provides a long-term solution for increased stability in our communities and safeguards the vitality of our economy and quality of life.”
The construction is slated for completion by 2026. Authorities say the project will account for 30 percent of the current drinking water demands for East San Diego. According to a press release, more than $123 million in grant funding and $796 million in low-interest loans are secured for the project.
East County Project leaders say they anticipate receiving additional state and federal grant funding.
“We are now one step closer to creating a local, reliable, and sustainable drinking water source that will reduce our dependence on increasingly expensive imported water,'' Carlisle said.
He said the program is “a smart investment that provides a long-term solution for increased stability in our communities and safeguards the vitality of our economy and quality of life.''
According to program officials, four advanced water purification steps to produce water that is near-distilled quality, and after treatment, that water will be blended with water in Lake Jennings and treated again at Helix Water District's R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant before being distributed as drinking water.
The program will be the first of its kind in East County and the second county-wide ofter Pure Water Oceanside. According to the City of San Diego, Pure Wate San Diego will provide more than 40 percent of San Diego’s water supply by the end of 2035.
Last month, Carlisle agreed to more than $33 million to resolve a dispute with the city of San Diego regarding a pipeline deal that posed “serious implications for the East County Water Purification Project and the city’s massive $5 billion pure water sewage recycling venture,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The city of San Diego wanted to construct an eight-mile pipeline, estimated to cost up to $40 million, to dodge contamination issues with its recycling project. East county officials said the city stalled transferring the East Mission Gorge Pump Station to force payment as a result of the conflict.
