The city of Oceanside marked World Water Day on March 22 with the dedication of the first advanced purification facility for recycled drinking water in San Diego County.

Plant operations began Jan. 3.

“Pure Water Oceanside exemplifies our commitment to innovative projects that improve the lives of the citizens who call our great city home,” Mayor Esther Sanchez said in remarks shared Tuesday by the city. “Not only will the project safeguard against ongoing drought concerns, but it will also improve the quality and quantity of our local aquifer and reduce our reliance on imported water, ensuring clean and reliable water is available for future generations.”

The $70 million Pure Water Oceanside facility adds to the city’s drinking water stock as the region and California face serious drought conditions. The project uses ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to provide 3 million gallons per day using recycled water from the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility, according to the city. That’s more than 20% of the Oceanside’s drinking water supply.

Municipal water supplies will face further stress in the months ahead as the state tightens water supplies in the midst of the drought. On March 18, the California Department of Water Resources announced that the State Water Project would reduce its requested supply allocation to municipalities to 5% percent, down from 15%.

“We are experiencing climate change whiplash in real time with extreme swings between wet and dry conditions. That means adjusting quickly based on the data and the science,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said in a news release March 18. “While we had hoped for more rain and snow, DWR has been preparing for a third consecutive year of drought since October.”

Before the Pure Water project went online, Oceanside imported most of its water from the Sacramento Bay Delta and the Colorado River, according to the city. Rising costs, environmental concerns and infrastructure stability in earthquake-prone California were among the reasons the city cited for a local option.

“On this World Water Day, we celebrate the City of Oceanside’s contribution to managing our invaluable water resources with the opening of Pure Water Oceanside,” city water utilities director Cari Dale said in a news release Tuesday. “Today we made history by moving one step closer to achieving the goal of greater water independence for not only our city, residents and businesses, but also the region as a whole.”

The opening of the Pure Water Oceanside facility is the first of three such projects underway in San Diego County. Pure Water San Diego and the East County Advanced Water Purification Program are the other two.

The Oceanside facility is also the second such effort along the North Coast to localize drinking water supplies using filtration and purification technology for nontraditional sources.

In 2015, Carlsbad opened the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant, developed and operated by Poseidon Water, which feeds into the region’s water network. The plant turns ocean water into drinkable water.

The San Diego County Water Authority’s response to the state’s lowering of its distribution levels underscored the opening of the new Oceanside facility.

“Reduced water deliveries from the State Water Project highlight how the San Diego region’s conservation ethic combined with investments in drought-resilient supplies are paying off,” Sandra L. Kerl, the Water Authority’s general manager, said in a statement on March 18. “The region uses very little water from the Bay-Delta, and even with reduced allocations, the Water Authority has reliable water supplies for 2022 and beyond.”

OsideNews is an Oceanside news site affiliated with the North Coast Current.

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