Tag Archive for: Escondido

Work being done on the First Aqueduct.

Traffic Impacts Planned for Two Escondido Sites During Aqueduct Upgrades

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Starting the second week of August, pedestrians and motorists in Escondido will notice traffic impacts due to construction work on Water Authority facilities as part of the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement project.

Beginning on August 11, work will take place on Bear Valley Parkway just north of San Pasqual Valley Road where a traffic lane and a bike lane on Bear Valley Parkway will be closed, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At a second site on Harding Street, just north of the intersection with East Valley Parkway, traffic will be rerouted in the evenings starting on Aug. 18. The southbound traffic lane, left turn lane, and #1 northbound lane will be closed for nighttime construction from 5 pm to 7 am, Monday through Friday.

Signs and flag crews will help direct traffic around the work areas. Construction activities will include excavation, saw cutting, welding, concrete placement, backfill and paving. Work crews will be driving heavy construction equipment with required backup alarms

A map of the worksite on Bear Valley Parkway.

Work at each of these locations is estimated to last four weeks.

This is part of the Water Authority’s work to upgrade the historic First Aqueduct and ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable water supplies for the region.

The Southern First Aqueduct project stretches 21 miles starting north of Escondido and east of Interstate 15 and continuing south to Slaughterhouse Canyon on the west and ending at the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside. Along the way, the work crosses the communities of Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and parts of unincorporated San Diego County.

The First Aqueduct has been in service over 70 years and serves more than 2 million people countywide. Work around the region to improve the First Aqueduct is expected to continue through summer 2026 with upgrades to 99 structures connected to two massive water pipelines.

The Water Authority is coordinating closely with its member agencies to minimize impacts to residents and businesses and ensure there is no interruption to water delivery.

For more information about the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project, including an interactive map where viewers can zoom in to view work areas, visit www.sdcwa.org/first-aqueduct.  For questions or comments, call (877) 682-9230 ext. 7004 or send email to .

Water Authority Buys 9-Acre Site for $39 Million to Replace Aging Operations Facility

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Jennifer Vigil

The San Diego County Water Authority has purchased a new building on 9 acres in Escondido for $38.76 million, according to a brokerage.

San Diego-based RPG sold the 88,552-square-foot facility. The property, now completed, is part of a larger planned two-building industrial development, known as the Escondido Logistics Center, on Citracado Parkway at So. Andreasen Drive.

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Escondido Unveils California’s First Agricultural-Only Water Reuse Facility

/in , /by /Smart Water Magazine

With the recently completed AgX MFRO, the new $64M two-million-gallon-per-day facility membrane filtration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO) water reuse treatment plant, the City of Escondido has achieved an important milestone in its goal of creating a high-quality alternative to potable water for local agriculture growers.

With this facility beginning operations, the City and its partners the Filanc Brown and Caldwell (FBC) Joint Venture, held a dedication ceremony on August 28, 2024. Among the more than 100 attendees were Director of Utilities Angela Morrow, Mayor Dane White, City Manager Sean McGlynn, Deputy City Manager Chris McKinney, and other city representatives along with State Water Resources Control Board representatives, and key members of the FBC team and agriculture community. The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting and a facility tour.

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Evacuation Orders Lifted in Escondido After Lithium-Ion Battery Fire at SDG&E Facility that also Prompted School Closures

/in , /by /NBC 7by Eric S. Page and Danielle Smith

Thousands of people in Escondido are affected by an incessant fire that sparked Thursday at SDG&E’s Northeast Operations Center, a lithium-ion battery energy storage facility.

The blaze sparked just after noon and is burning in the 500 block of Enterprise Street, just a few blocks from where Interstate 15 intersects with state Route 78 and quickly prompted evacuations of more than 500 businesses and 1,500 SDG&E customer homes, according to the electricity agency.

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Escondido Water Recycling Facility will Offset Restrictions that Often Come During Droughts

/in , /by /NBC 7by Brooke Martell

Water use restrictions are usually the first sign of severe drought conditions in California, but a new recycled water treatment facility in Escondido set to go online early next year could help offset those restrictions for the local farming communities.

What’s unique about the new plant is that when drought conditions develop, local farmers with avocado and citrus groves won’t have to cut back on their water use.

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Construction of the new Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir in North San Diego County was completed in June 2023.

Award-Winning Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir Project

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The award-winning Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir enhances drinking water supply reliability and operational efficiency for the region. Construction was completed June 23 on the San Diego County Water Authority project in North San Diego County.

Work started in March 2021 with the demolition of an out-of-service steel tank.

Project work included construction of an underground isolation vault and flow control facility, in addition to a new 2.1 million-gallon water tank connected to the Valley Center Pipeline.

Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project-water infrastructure

The project included construction of the water tank, flow control facility, and valve vault; paving of the project site and access road; and installation of new security fencing. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Improved operational flexibility

Operational flexibility is increased at Hauck Mesa by balancing the flow of treated water between the agency’s First and Second Aqueducts and by helping to maintain water deliveries if power supplies are interrupted. The new storage reservoir enhances the Water Authority’s ability to provide reliable and efficient deliveries of treated water to member agencies.

The walls of the new tank are about 60 feet tall, stained a forest green color to blend in with the natural landscape, and made of prestressed, or wire wrapped, concrete.

“The prestressed technology will maintain the tank walls in permanent compression, allowing the tank to accommodate seismic events while remaining watertight,” said Water Authority Construction Manager Emma Ward-McNally.

The project reached a major milestone in April 2022 when crews poured the concrete roof of the new prestressed concrete water tank. The entire system, including the new tank and flow control facility, was put into service in May 2023.

Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project-concrete tower-water infrastructure

In April 2022, crews worked to pour the concrete roof of the new Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir in North San Diego County. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Award-winning Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project

The Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project has received two awards: The 2023 Honor Award from the American Public Works Association for Utilities in the $6 – $25 million category and was a joint winner of the 2023 Outstanding Water Project from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Hauck Mesa Reservoir Storage project-water infrastructure-award winning

Water Authority Construction Manager Emma Ward-McNally (seated left) receives APWA award for the Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir Project. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority/APWA

Strategic infrastructure improvements by the Water Authority and its member agencies are part of the regional effort to ensure continued delivery of water to support the region’s $268 billion economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents. As part of the asset management program, it is critical to actively replace and repair the Water Authority’s assets, which include pipes, valves, facilities, equipment, and other infrastructure.

Collaboration with Valley Center Municipal Water District

During construction, the Water Authority worked closely with the Valley Center community, Valley Center Municipal Water District, and nearby homeowners to minimize short-term construction impacts during the project.

The Water Authority operates and maintains a regional water delivery system capable of delivering 900 million gallons of water per day. Building and operating the large-scale infrastructure required to meet the region’s water needs now and in the future requires careful planning and technical expertise. The Water Authority uses a sophisticated approach to cost-effectively build, operate, maintain and secure its water facilities as an integrated system.

(Editor’s note: The Valley Center Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

Trolls Under the Bridge: Century Old Dam Faces Bleak Future

/in , /by /Escondido Times-Advocateby Jeffrey Epp

Every day, more than 300,000 cars and trucks thunder across the wide concrete bridge which carries Interstate 15 over Lake Hodges south of Escondido. Perhaps just a handful of these daily commuters or big rig drivers are fully aware of what lies below. Under this bridge, an aluminum boat and fisherman could be bobbing among the treetops. On another day, it might be the peaceful scene of a mule deer lying perfectly still on dry ground among the reeds.

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Escondido Incubator Could Revive North County’s Ag Industry. UC Could Be Partner

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joe Tash

A vacant, city-owned industrial building could become a hub for new businesses in the field of agricultural technology under a proposal now being explored by Escondido officials.

The idea is to turn the empty building at 455 N. Quince St. — most recently used as a mattress factory and warehouse — into an incubator where researchers, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists could come together to hatch new companies that would serve North County’s agriculture industry.

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Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir

Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir Moving to Completion

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The San Diego County Water Authority Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project in North San Diego County reached a major milestone in late April when crews poured the concrete roof of the new prestressed concrete water tank. The major construction project, which began in March 2021, will improve drinking water supply reliability for the county.

The project began with the demolition of an abandoned steel tank, and includes construction of an isolation vault and an underground flow control facility, in addition to the new 2.1 million-gallon water tank connected to the Valley Center Pipeline. The project is expected to be completed by November 2022.

Improved flexibility with Hauck Mesa Reservoir

The new Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir will increase operational flexibility by balancing the flow of treated water between the agency’s first and second aqueducts as well as ensure water deliveries can be maintained even if power supplies are interrupted.

The walls of the new tank are about 60 feet tall, will be stained a forest green color to blend in with the natural landscape, and are made of prestressed, or wire wrapped, concrete. Construction Manager Emma Ward-McNally said that the prestressed technology “will maintain the tank walls in permanent compression, allowing the tank to accommodate seismic events while remaining watertight.”

Next steps for the project include the wire wrapping of the water tank, applying green-tinted shotcrete to the tank walls, installation of mechanical components within the flow control facility, system commissioning, and paving of the project site and access road.

Asset management

Strategic infrastructure improvements by the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies are part of the regional effort to ensure continued delivery of water to support the region’s $240 billion economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents. As part of the asset management program, it is critical to actively replace and repair the Water Authority’s assets, which include pipes, valves, facilities, equipment, and other infrastructure.

The Water Authority will continue to work closely with the Valley Center community, Valley Center Municipal Water District, and nearby homeowners to minimize short-term construction impacts.

Replacement of Lake Wohlford Dam is ‘Shovel Ready’

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joe Tash

The city of Escondido is moving forward with plans to replace the Lake Wohlford dam, a structure built of earth and rock that has stood at its present location since 1895.

Lake Wohlford is about 5 miles northeast of downtown Escondido, just beyond city limits in the unincorporated area of San Diego County, and the dam is owned by the city. The lake has long served the city both as a recreational asset for boaters and fishing enthusiasts, and as an emergency storage reservoir to supply drinking water in case of a drought.

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