This month the mayor of the City of San Diego, Kevin Faulconer, said the American metropolis is seeking construction bids for the North City Water Facility, which will be the first of various bids for its Pure Water Program.
The bids are due by October 1 and mark the start of the Pure Water San Diego’s phased, multiyear approach using proven technology to clean recycled water, reports Times of San Diego. The program is to produce 30 million gallons of safe, high-quality water a day and create over 1,000 green jobs, which the city says will aid in the regional economic recovery effort.
Kevin Faulconer said: “With the first bid for construction out, the city will soon be putting shovels in the ground to embark on what will be the most important infrastructure project in San Diego’s history.
“Pure Water not only helps us leave a cleaner, greener city behind for our grandchildren but also helps ensure our water independence and economic security far into the future.”
Currently, the city’s water system reclaims just 8% of the wastewater leaving homes and businesses, the rest is treated and discharged into the ocean, highlights Times of San Diego.
The Pure Water Program looks to change this. As part of the mayor’s Climate Action Plan, the finalization of Phase 1 of the program is expected to provide one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035. The Pure Water Program and the North City Pure Water plant is to treat the recycled water produced at the North City Water Reclamation Plant, which is presently used for irrigation — to purified water standards, suitable for drinking water.
“We’re excited to begin construction on the first phase of projects for the Pure Water program,” said Johnnie Perkins, the city’s deputy COO of public utilities. “The project will provide substantial construction jobs and benefits to the local economy. The North City Pure Water facility is a key part of the infrastructure that will increase San Diego’s water supply.”
The North City Pure Water Facility is to use a five-step treatment process and will be built north of Eastgate Mall near the existing water reclamation plant.
The new facility will produce up to 30 million gallons per day once operational. The purified water will be sent via pipeline to the Miramar Reservoir, where it will be combined with imported and local water, then piped to the Miramar Water Treatment Facility for additional treatment prior to distribution.
In the following months, the city has said it will be announcing bids for other elements to the Pure Water Phase 1 project, including a Pure Water facility and pump station, pipeline, de-chlorination facility and a Miramar Reservoir pump station.
