San Diego officials formally announced their largest infrastructure project to date that could result in the production of 34 million gallons per day of potable drinking water by 2025, and an additional 53 million gallons by 2035. Dubbed as “Pure Water,” the project will consist of three essential projects that will boost local water independence as the threat of droughts loom in the area due to climate change.
The three projects will be a $110 million pump station installed on Morena Boulevard, a $123 million pipeline that will go through much of Clairemont to bring sewage to a $356 million sewage purification plant in western Miramar. The pipeline through Clairemont has sparked multiple protests and lawsuits that have slowed Pure Water’s progress.
Why is Pure Water great news for residents and people currently in the markets for San Diego downtown condos? The project will make San Diego’s economy less dependent on imported water by decreasing the amount of water imported to the city from 85% to 50%. The area will also be less susceptible to the threat of droughts.
The project will also reduce the amount of sewage the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant emits into the ocean, allowing the plant to meet the standards of the federal Clean Water Act. Expensive upgrades to the plant will no longer be necessary, as the sewage will be purified at the Miramar Plant, stored in Lake Miramar reservoir, and piped as potable water to homes and businesses in the area.
Currently, the city only recycles about 8% of its sewage, and that water can only be used for irrigation, not for drinking. The project will receive funding from both the state and federal government. The state is slated to allocate $50 million while $120 million in federal funds was announced Friday, Aug. 20. City officials hope that the city’s largest infrastructure project to date will deliver a “reliable source of clean water to [the] region for decades to come.”