Equipment displays and hands-on family fun are part of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District Open House on Saturday, October 18. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water DistrictPadre Dam Municipal Water District Hosts Open House on October 18
The Padre Dam Municipal Water District is celebrating 70 years of service to the community with a public open house on Saturday, October 18.
The fun-filled, educational open house will provide guests a behind-the-scenes look at the equipment, facilities and staff that provide water to the community. Everyone is welcome to attend, and there is no requirement to RSVP.
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The open house takes place at the Padre Dam MWD headquarters, 9120 Carlton Oaks Drive in Santee from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Open House Features Family Fun Activities and Equipment Demos
The Padre Dam Municipal Water District Open House features displays about its operations, along with numerous hands-on experiences. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District
The entire family will enjoy hands-on activities, equipment demonstrations, games, and educational booths. Guests can pose for a photo at the photo booth, plant and take home native seeds, create their own luxury water, and snack on complimentary shaved ice.
Attendees will enjoy dozens of attractions including:
- A touch-a-truck experience and photos
- Games like bean bag toss and fishing for candy
- Equipment demonstrations and models
- Trying their hand at fixing a leak
- Learning about our systems from Padre Dam staff
Significant Place In Regional Water History
The Old Mission Dam is now part of Mission Trails Regional Park. Photo: Mission Trails Regional Park
The Padre Dam Municipal Water District is named for the Old Mission Dam. The dam, built around 1807, is a historic water landmark located nearby in Mission Trails Regional Park. The 12-foot-high, 220-foot-long dam with a five-mile-long flume was California’s first major irrigation project. It provided water to the Mission San Diego de Alcala and its 1,500 people living in a drought-prone climate.
The District was formed in 1976 when voters approved the merger of Santee County Water District with Rio San Diego Municipal Water District, which were originally established in the mid-1950s to serve the region’s growth. The new district took on its current name, the Padre Dam Municipal Water District.
In 1959, the Santee County Water District embarked on a pioneering project for its time of recycling wastewater for irrigation and commercial use. The treatment process became a chain of seven recycled water lakes. Boating and fishing were authorized in 1961, and Santee Lakes opened to the public for recreation.
The recycled water project and Santee Lakes received worldwide attention and continue to attract visitors in the field of water reuse and reclamation.
Today, Padre Dam Municipal Water District provides potable water, wastewater collection and treatment, water recycling, and recreational facilities to Santee, Blossom Valley, Dehesa, Crest, Alpine, Harbison Canyon, Flinn Springs, and a small portion of Lakeside and El Cajon.
