OCEANSIDE, CA, FEB. 25, 2020 – The City of Oceanside recently broke ground on Pure Water Oceanside, a project that will purify recycled water to create a new local source of high-quality drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. Scheduled to be completed before the end of 2021, Pure Water Oceanside will be the first operating advanced water purification facility in San Diego County.
The $67 million project will source recycled water from the City’s San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility. Advanced technology will be used to replicate and accelerate the natural recycling process to provide 3 to 5 million gallons per day or more than 32% of the City of Oceanside’s water supply.
“Today we put Pure Water Oceanside on the map and are one step closer to achieving the goal of greater water-independence for our city, residents and businesses,” said Cari Dale, Water Utilities Director, City of Oceanside during the ground breaking event. “This future-focused project will provide multiple benefits by reusing our water resources to their full potential.”
Pure Water Oceanside will address a variety of challenges currently faced by the City. Today, Oceanside imports most of its water from the Sacramento Bay Delta and the Colorado River, which are hundreds of miles away. This imported water is subject to rising costs out of the City’s control, requires an enormous amount of energy to transport and is vulnerable to natural disasters and earthquakes. Pure Water Oceanside will address these challenges by diversifying the City’s water supply and reducing its reliance on imported water by over 30%.
“The City of Oceanside is proud to be a leader in sustainability, with our dedicated team spearheading multiple programs that protect and conserve natural resources,” said Dale. “Pure Water Oceanside marks the next big step for our City and a larger movement for the region as a whole to create sustainable water supplies in San Diego County. The project will safeguard against drought, reduce our dependence on increasingly expensive imported water, provide an environmentally friendly alternative to transporting water and create an exceptionally pure drinking water supply.”
Learn more at www.purewateroceanside.org.