The City of San Diego released the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Pure Water Program. Phase one of this water reclamation project could produce 30 MGD of potable water. It is hoped that when the entire project is complete, it would provide up to one third of San Diego’s drinking water by 2035. Phase one of the project is scheduled to be complete in 2021 and cost $1.2 billion. The entire project is expected to cost $3B, of which $2.3Billion would be provided by the EPA in low interest loans to the city of San Diego. This project serves two purposes: reducing dependency on imported water; and reducing the amount of solid waste being process at the Point Loma Sewage treatment facility
The Pure Water project consists of pump stations, pipelines, and the water reclamation facility. It will expand the North City Water Reclamation plant (NCWRP) east of 805, between Miramar and Eastgate Mall. The Morena Pump station will be located just northeast of the I-8/I-5 interchange. The Morena pipelines will run between the Morena Pump station and the NCWRP. This pipeline would have a large pipe (48” diameter) to transport the raw sewage upstream to the NCWRP, and a smaller pipe (30” diameter) to transport the brine/centrate back to the Morena Pipeline. The pipeline is to be placed along existing right of way of city streets – it will cross several canyons and mesas – requiring pumps to move the sewage between the locations.
The Morena pipelines runs along Morena Blvd to Clairemont Drive. It follows Clairemont drive to the northeast side of the Clairemont Square where it follows Clairemont Mesa Blvd to Genesee. It then proceeds north on Genesee to Nobel. It follows Nobel to Towne Center Drive. At Executive it heads east to the NCWRP. Most of the pipeline will be placed by trenching the roadways deep enough to place the 48” pipe and the 30” pipe 5-8’ below the surface, and below existing utilities. This will require lane closures during construction. Additionally there will be tunnels bored to run the pipeline under San Clemente creek at the Genesee and 52 intersection, and under Rose Creek and the railroad tracks from just south of Centurion Square, and another tunnel under I-805 from the end of Executive.
Much of the construction of the pipelines will occur at night between 9pm and 5am. UCPG requested that the work be done during daytime hours, outside of rush hour for the residential sections of Genesee, Nobel, and Towne Center Drive. The construction is scheduled to occur between 8:30 and 3:30 on Towne Center between Nobel and La Jolla Village, and between 7:30 and 4:30 on Nobel. Construction will be at night along Genesee, between 9pm and 5am.
University Community Planning Group (UCPG) submitted a letter expressing concerns about construction impacts and whether it was appropriate to run this pipeline through a residential neighborhood and expressed concern of risk of sewage spill if the pipeline breaks or leaks. The city dismissed these concerns.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on this project on April 10th. The project is being presented to the UCPG on March 13th, 2018. Construction for the entire phase one project is scheduled to start in October 2018 and run through December 2021. The Morena Pipeline is scheduled to commence in April 2019 and last through October 2021.
The Final EIR can be found at the links here: https://www.sandiego.gov/water/purewater/purewatersd/reports
Editor’s note: Article submitted by Katie Rodolico, member of UCPG Pure Water EIR subcommittee, reflects the author’s views. Both UCCA and UCPG have requested a different sewer line route that would not impact an already congested Genesee Avenue.
UCPG meets Tuesday, March 13, at 10300 Campus Point Drive above the Green Acre Restaurant at 6 PM. Those who wish to vote in the election may do so as early as 5 PM. Meeting agenda is expected to include presentations regarding Pure Water, Costa Verde, and the cell phone towers at Doyle. The full agenda, when available, will be posted at https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/university/agendas
For related posts, visit https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/ucpg/
