North San Diego County fire agencies teamed up with Olivenhain Municipal Water District in early December for confined space training drills. The drills prepare firefighting professionals to respond to emergencies in facilities such as water or wastewater treatment plants and are required to maintain their confined space certification.
Residents of Ramona’s Acres community are working with local officials and a nonprofit on an application for a $1.32 million grant that would give them better access to clean water.
The funds would pay for new water main pipelines for the community, which has contaminated well water and inadequate pipes.
Toby Roy, a specialist with the nonprofit Rural Community Assistance Corporation, provided an update on the application process at the Dec. 14 Ramona Municipal Water District meeting.
Work is progressing toward completion on the first of two pipeline replacement projects in Encinitas by Olivenhain Municipal Water District.
Replacement of an existing drinking water pipeline is wrapping up at Rancho Santa Fe Road and Encinitas Boulevard, with completion expected in early 2022. The original pipeline was installed in 1961 and was approaching the end of its lifespan. Proactively replacing aging water pipelines prevents leaks and avoids emergency shutdowns.
Work is progressing toward completion on the first of two pipeline replacement projects in Encinitas by Olivenhain Municipal Water District.
Replacement of an existing drinking water pipeline is wrapping up at Rancho Santa Fe Road and Encinitas Boulevard, with completion expected in early 2022. The original pipeline was installed in 1961 and was approaching the end of its lifespan. Proactively replacing aging water pipelines prevents leaks and avoids emergency shutdowns.
“Water main breaks can waste millions of gallons of treated water while requiring costly emergency repairs,” said Bob Topolovac, Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board director. “That is why this project is critical in ensuring safe and reliable water delivery to our customers.”
To minimize the impact on the surrounding community, construction is taking place mainly at night, except in residential areas where work takes place during the day. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
To minimize the impact on the surrounding community, construction is taking place mainly at night, except in residential areas where work takes place during the day.
In early 2022, the water district will begin its second project, installing 1.4 miles of six-inch recycled water pipeline under Manchester Avenue and S. El Camino Real. When completed, recycled water will be connected to the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority’s Recycled Water Pipeline and North Plant. It will be part of the North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition’s Regional Recycled Water Project.
Homeowner associations, schools, and businesses along the project alignment that are currently using potable water for landscape irrigation will be able to take advantage of this lower-cost, drought-resistant local source of water for irrigation. These new customers connecting to this pipeline will reduce the need for 10 million gallons of potable drinking water per year.
The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is coordinating its work with Caltrans to minimize traffic impacts to the Manchester Avenue Corridor. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
The pipeline will be installed along Manchester Avenue between Via Poco and Tennis Club Drive. Since Caltrans is working at I-5 and Via Poco, the water district is coordinating its work with Caltrans to minimize traffic impacts to the Manchester Avenue Corridor.
Construction is expected to take nine months. The project received approximately $1.75 million in state and federal grant funding, reducing costs for its ratepayers.
Prior to construction in summer 2021, the Olivenhain Municipal Water District hosted a virtual neighborhood meeting. Staff provided project details and steps that will be taken to reduce impacts to the community and sought input from members of the public. Video of the meeting can be viewed here. (NOTE: some of the scheduling information has changed).
The project is expected to be completed in early 2023. Project updates can be found at www.olivenhain.com/projects. For questions or concerns, email or call 760-632-4235.
(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Dire warnings about communities and farms running dry next year. Headlines proclaiming a potentially dry La Niña winter. Reservoirs already so low they look like sets for post-apocalyptic movies. California seems poised for a continuation of its crippling drought next summer.
San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra Kerl recently sat down with Brown and Caldwell’s Wendy Broley, director of technical practices, and Mike Puccio, Southern California operations director, to talk about her experience dealing with unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, and drought.
Four projects are being added to a waitlist as well. According to the EPA, as funds become available, $6.7 billion in WIFIA loans will help finance over $15 billion in water infrastructure projects to protect public health and water quality across 24 states.
“Far too many communities still face significant water challenges, making these transformative investments in water infrastructure so crucial,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan in the EPA news release. “The WIFIA invited projects will deliver major benefits like the creation of good-paying jobs and the safeguarding of public health, especially in underserved and under-resourced communities. This program is a shining example of the public health and economic opportunities that will be achieved under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
12/3/2021 – Today, Helix Water District was invited by the US Environmental Protection Agency to apply for a $15.8 million low-interest loan to help finance major water infrastructure upgrades in East County.
The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan will help the district pay for over $32 million worth of needed capital improvement projects and facility upgrades. The projects improve water reliability, quality and increase energy efficiency throughout the district’s 50 square mile service area.
A low-interest loan offers flexibility by allowing the district to tackle larger capital improvement projects while also keeping other projects on schedule. Financing the district’s upcoming projects also benefits customers by providing rate stability.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that California will receive more than $600 million in water infrastructure funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Augustine Godinez is standing on a walkway that extends over a large water storage basin. Below him, a huge metal arm swirls the water in order to separate the sludge out. What’s happening here is that wastewater is being recycled.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
