The city of Oceanside broke ground Wednesday on a water recycling facility that it says will eventually provide 32%, or one-third, the city’s drinkable water supply.
City and state leaders were at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility to unveil the plan and discuss the benefits for the city. Oceanside says it needs this facility because the cost of importing water from hundreds of miles away is too expensive. Also, a local aquifer is running out of water.
According to the city, the facility will use a state-of-the-art purification technology that provides drinking water that is clean and safe. The recycling process has several steps that include:
- Microfiltration - Filters remove bacteria and suspended solids from reclaimed water;
- Reverse Osmosis - Ultra-fine filters remove salt, viruses, bacteria, pharmaceuticals and chemicals;
- Ultraviolet Light and Advanced Oxidation - The final polishing step neutralizes any remaining substances;
- Injection - Minerals are added before the water is injected into the Mission Basin;
- Treatment - Water is extracted from the aquifer and treated again at the city’s Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility;
- Delivery - The water is distributed to customers.
“It’s used all around the world,” said Cari Dale, Oceanside Water Utilities Director. “From Singapore to the Middle East, it’s also used in the Orange County area and supplies water to Disneyland so people have been drinking this water for a very long time and it is very, very safe.”
The new water supply will also safeguard against drought and is sustainable for generations to come.
The system is set to be completed by the end of 2021 but won’t be delivered to home taps until 2022.
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At first, the facility will provide 12% of the city’s water supply then by 2030, it will expand to roughly 30%, which is the maximum.
