The extended drought, a growing community and changing water needs together mean that a number of Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD) projects are planned or underway to ensure reliable water service to customers now and in the future.

Bids and Openings

     Construction of Operations Building J

• Bid Results (Posted March 9, 2010)

Public Notices

• Notice of Preparation- Unit AA Raw Water Pipeline (January 7, 2010)

Planning Documents

• Comprehensive Master Plan (Updated February 2006) — OMWD has initiated a Comprehensive Master Plan to combine previous planning efforts into a single document that addresses OMWD’s needs within its three enterprise areas: potable water, wastewater and recycled water. (This is a large file, 23.82 MB, which may take some time to download, depending on your Internet connection speed.)
• Environmental Impact Report for the Comprehensive Master Plan — available by request; email us.

Existing Facilities

David C. McCollom Water Treatment Plant

OMWD’s David C. McCollom Water Treatment Plant consists of a membrane plant incorporating the latest ultra-filtration membrane technology. Ultra-filtration is a membrane filtration process that is considered a barrier process. The water from which the solids are removed passes through the membrane. This process provides a physical barrier to viruses and prevents the passage of solids larger than the pores in the membrane. This treatment method meets or exceeds federal water standards and allows for removal of water contaminants such as cryptosporidium.

An ultra-filtration plant has the lowest total capital costs compared to conventional treatment costs at $30 million for the first 25 million gallons per day (MGD) increment and $98 million for the full-capacity 82 MGD plant (this does not include total dissolved solids (TDS) or hardness reduction).

Membrane technology offers more flexibility and lends itself to modular expansion. The government recognizes membrane technology as being environmentally friendly while meeting today’s regulatory standards. It also provides the ability to meet future water treatment standards.

OMWD must treat water from the State Water Project and the Colorado River. The hardness and total dissolved solids (TDS) are lowest in the State Water Project water and high in the Colorado River water. Typically, the imported water system delivers a 25% to 75% blend of State and Colorado River water. Because of the potential for varying water quality, OMWD requires flexibility in its treatment processes.
Printable Brochure

Public Tours

Due to security measures, public access to the David C. McCollom Water Treatment Plant is restricted. Tours of the plant are held several times a year. The tour includes the David C. McCollom Water Treatment Plant and the 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility. For more information, email us or call 760-632-4641.

4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility

Visit our recycled water page for more information, or email us.

Olivenhain Water Storage Project

The Olivenhain Water Storage Project is an element of  the San Diego County Water Authority's (SDCWA) Emergency Storage Project (ESP) for San Diego County. It includes the Olivenhain Dam and Reservoir. Details on the project can be found on the SDCWA website.