The Santa Margarita River flows through town but Fallbrook had to fight for 70 years to finally use it.
The narrow river winds its way from Riverside County, through Fallbrook, and eventually onto Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. For the longest time, the military base did not want to share the river’s water with Fallbrook. The federal government filed a lawsuit against Fallbrook in 1951. Since then, Fallbrook Public Utility District General Manager Jack Bebee said they’ve battled, negotiated, and pleaded with all levels of government.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Chelsea Camposhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngChelsea Campos2021-11-16 11:03:592021-11-16 11:04:52Fallbrook Fights for 70 Years to Use Water From Nearby River
A pilot test will be conducted on the Fallbrook Public Utility District’s planned indirect potable reuse project, and Intuitech will be leasing the pilot treatment equipment to FPUD.
FPUD’s board voted 5-0 Oct. 25 to authorize a $370,450 agreement with Intuitech for the lease of the equipment. The pilot project will determine the best treatment process as well as the feasibility of utilizing reclaimed water to augment groundwater in the Lower Santa Margarita River basin.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Kimberlyn Velasquezhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngKimberlyn Velasquez2021-11-11 09:20:332021-11-19 09:22:34FPUD to Lease Indirect Potable Reuse Pilot Treatment Equipment from Intuitech
The Fallbrook Public Utility District is now accepting applications for customers to receive free, drought-tolerant succulents. Approved applicants will receive the plants, free of charge, to transform their landscape and save water.
Although the Fallbrook Public Utility District water storage tank uphill from South Mission Road has received a fresh set of painted numbers annually for 35 years, this week’s update was the most anticipated makeover ever.
FPUD crews change the painted numbers on the tank to reflect the year incoming seniors will graduate at Fallbrook High School. A three-person team made up of district employees Matt Lian, Colter Shannon, and Toby Stoneburner recently painted over the “21,” changing it to “22” to welcome the graduating class of 2022.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2021-08-13 10:27:032021-08-13 10:42:11Class of 2022 Cheers New FPUD Rattlesnake Tank Artwork
Although the Fallbrook Public Utility District water storage tank uphill from South Mission Road has received a fresh set of painted numbers annually for 35 years, this week’s update was the most anticipated makeover ever.
FPUD crews change the painted numbers on the tank to reflect the year incoming seniors will graduate at Fallbrook High School. A three-person team made up of district employees Matt Lian, Colter Shannon, and Toby Stoneburner recently painted over the “21,” changing it to “22” to welcome the graduating class of 2022.
It took the team five hours to paint the 25-foot-tall numbers onto the 3.6 million-gallon tank, compressed through the magic of time-lapse video to under 30 seconds.
“Parents and Fallbrook High seniors anxiously await the painting of the tank and begin calling the office early in June to find out when we’re doing it,” said Noelle Denke, FPUD public affairs officer. “This year, it’s especially exciting for them because they’re going back to campus and need something to look forward to.”
The reason for the annual external makeover dates back 35 years. Before the district started painting the tank, Fallbrook High seniors took on a longstanding dare. They would climb up the hill in the middle of the night, scale the tank and then paint it themselves.
Since it’s a long way down, FPUD staff became concerned for student safety. Workers installed a fence at the time to prevent access by the annual stealth painting crew.
But it didn’t deter the energetic students. Instead, they just began jumping the fence in the middle of the night. So district officials struck a deal with the students. If they would stop risking their safety for the dare, FPUD would safely paint the tank every year to commemorate them.
A 25-foot salute to Fallbrook High’s graduating seniors
The annual painting for the Class of 2022 began due to safety concerns. Photo: Fallbrook PUD
“We’ve been doing it ever since,” said Denke.
Since the tank shares the space with several cell towers, Fallbrook Public Utility District makes arrangements to power down their towers. Then crews safely hoist themselves up to the tower and get to work painting.
Rattlesnake Tank was built in the early 1950s and is one of Fallbrook’s oldest and most visible water tanks.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FPUD-Rattlesnake-Tank-2022-B-845X450.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngGayle Falkenthal2021-08-12 17:57:082021-08-12 20:16:56Class of 2022 Cheers New FPUD Rattlesnake Tank Artwork
With nearly 100 years of combined experience working on important regional issues across San Diego County, we wanted to share some observations about a proposal currently pending among our region’s water providers.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District have filed applications to leave the San Diego County Water Authority and instead get their water from an agency in Riverside County.
First and foremost, this is a regional decision that has regional implications. Rainbow and Fallbrook’s plan for leaving for Riverside will raise water bills on every family and business in San Diego County, all while our economy is trying to recover from a recession caused by the pandemic.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2021-06-29 09:44:182021-06-29 09:45:46Opinion: San Diego County Must Not Suffer if Fallbrook and Rainbow Leave Water Authority
Rainbow Municipal Water District and Fallbrook Public Utility District want to leave the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) because of rising costs. They want to join the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County, a move that could save their customers up to $5 million a year.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2021-06-07 09:47:352021-06-07 09:58:07San Diego Water War in the North County
Many avocado growers in San Diego have gone out of business in recent years as they struggle with the rising cost of water, says Charlie Wolk as he walks through a recently forsaken grove in Rainbow that he tended for more than a decade.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2021-04-10 07:28:542021-04-12 07:31:57San Diego’s Soaring Water Rates Have Avocado, Other Growers Eyeing Break with County
The water agencies in Fallbrook and Rainbow announced Thursday they will move forward with an effort to leave the San Diego County Water Authority and join the Eastern Municipal Water District in southwest Riverside County.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2021-04-09 10:26:362021-04-09 17:20:29Water Agencies in Rural Fallbrook and Rainbow Move Forward With Plans to Leave County Authority
The Fallbrook Public Utility District approved a contract with SCADA Integrations to upgrade the conveyor system at FPUD’s Water Reclamation Plant with a programmable logic controller system.
A 5-0 FPUD board vote Monday, March 22, approved the request for proposals submission from SCADA Integrations. The upgrade will be constructed in two phases, and the contract has a total value of $128,470.
