News
Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Recycled Water Expansion Continues
Two More Homeowner Associations Now Online in Encinitas
Olivenhain Municipal Water District began serving locally produced recycled water to the Village Park Recreation Club 2 and Villanitas Homeowner Association in Encinitas this week. The conversion to recycled water enables each HOA to save money on its monthly water bill, while decreasing imported water demand by 21 acre-feet annually. An acre-foot is enough to serve two typical families of four for a year.
“The Village Park Recreation Club 2 and Villanitas HOAs can take pride in the fact that their conversion to recycled water will reduce the need to import 6.8 million gallons of potable water each year from Northern California or the Colorado River,” said OMWD Board President Lawrence A. Watt.
This new recycled water resource, which will be used to irrigate greenbelts and other landscaped common areas, is a result of an effective water partnership between OMWD and San Elijo Joint Powers Authority. The recycled water for this project is produced at the San Elijo Water Reclamation Facility, located in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. The treatment process uses a combination of sand filtration, microfiltration, and reverse osmosis to produce high-quality water for irrigation and industrial uses.
“This project is a great example of local agencies working together for the betterment of the community,” said SEJPA Board Chair and Encinitas council member Tasha Boerner Horvath.
Village Park Recreation Club 2 and Villanitas are the fifth and sixth HOAs to take advantage of recycled water in the Village Park community.
The Village Park Recycled Water Project recently received the Recycled Water Project 2018 Engineering Excellence Merit Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies. Interagency collaboration has been key to the project and has yielded mutually successful results among the participating agencies. This forward-looking water partnership between OMWD, SEJPA, the City of Encinitas, and multiple utilities will enable OMWD to deliver up to 114 million gallons of recycled water per year once all project sites are converted. Since the project’s completion in November 2016, OMWD has worked closely with local schools, HOAs, golf courses, and other large water users to convert to recycled water, reducing reliance on imported potable water supplies. Four additional HOAs have already submitted plans to convert to recycled water this year.
In addition to the Village Park project, OMWD can serve up to two million gallons of recycled water daily from its 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility in San Diego, and has developed partnerships with neighboring recycled water providers to serve recycled water to other areas. In total, OMWD meets approximately 12 percent of its demands with recycled water, providing a sustainable and renewable approach to its overall water portfolio.
Recycled water now irrigates this greenbelt along Willowspring Drive in Encinitas.
