Recycled Water Overview

Recycled water (also referred to as reclaimed water) is approved for nearly all uses. Careful monitoring by state health officials and water quality-control agencies ensures that recycled water produced by the City of San Diego meets all federal, state and local water quality standards.

According to the strict standards outlined in Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, recycled water is safe for all human contact. For more than 50 years, recycled water has been safely used throughout the country in recreational lakes, sprinkler systems for homes and businesses, food crop irrigation and manufacturing processes.

North City Water Reclamation Plant currently treats an average wastewater inflow of 22.5 MGD, which is 75 percent of its production capacity. The City produces enough tertiary treated recycled water to meet customer demands. The remaining water is treated to the secondary level and disposed of via an ocean outfall.

The existing recycled water distribution facilities in place to serve the Northern Service Area includes two recycled water storage tanks, two pump stations, and 79 miles of pipeline. These facilities extend from the coast to the City of Poway.

The City provides recycled water to approximately 400 meters, including a single service connection with the City of Poway by which Poway subsequently serves an additional 195 meters. The City also provides a wholesale supply of recycled water to the Olivenhain Water District. While most customers use recycled water for landscape irrigation customers located in the City of San Diego also use it for commercial cooling towers and industrial processes.

The South Bay Water Reclamation Plant currently treats up to 9 MGD of wastewater inflow which is 60 percent of its production capacity. The distribution system in the Southern Service Area consists of a pipeline in Dairy Mart Road which provides recycled water wholesale to the Otay Water District. Subsequently, the Otay Water District delivers recycled water to over 600 customers located in their service area for irrigation. The system also serves recycled water to the adjacent International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) Wastewater Treatment Plant to use for industrial processes.

With further advanced treatment, recycled water has been approved as an addition to existing water supplies in underground basins, and open reservoirs. This process is called groundwater recharge or reservoir augmentation and is occurring in other parts of California and the United States, but it is not occurring in San Diego at this time.

While irrigation is the most popular use for recycled water, it has multiple industrial applications including source water for cooling tower operations, dust suppression and universal cleaning elements for aggregates, transport equipments, circuit board washing, and more. It's important to note that recycled water is cheaper than potable water and, in case of a drought, is a more reliable supply.

If you are interested in learning more about recycled water, please e-mail us at water@sandiego.gov.