A water purification facility which turns wastewater into clean drinking water will safeguard the city of Oceanside, California against drought, and reduce dependence on imported water, say officials.

Pure Water Oceanside is the first advanced water purification facility in San Diego County and will supply water locally that has previously had to be imported from hundreds of miles away.

Once the clean water leaves the facility, it is injected into the Mission Basin aquifer, where it is stored for up to six months before being drawn out and treated again at the city's Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility. Following that procedure, the water is ready for distribution.

The US$70 million project took 10 years of planning and construction before going online. It uses a combination of advanced technologies, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to provide more than 20% of the City of Oceanside’s drinking water supply.

The new treatment plant will eventually create 11,000 - 19,000 cubic meters (3-5 million gallons) of drinking water per day, and could reduce Oceanside’s reliance on imported water by an estimated 20%. If all goes according to plan, the clean water could be ready for residents by summer 2022.

“Pure Water Oceanside exemplifies our commitment to innovative projects that improve the lives of the citizens who call our great City home,” said Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez. “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."

Congressman Mike Levin, a supporter of the project, said the facility is an investment for future generations and industries.

"We simply lack the natural rainfall to support the population that we have, not to mention future generations, like industries like biotech, manufacturing, craft brewing, because we know that our water demands will only continue in the years ahead," he said.

Pure Water Oceanside addresses a variety of challenges faced by the City. Before the project went live, Oceanside imported most of its water from the Sacramento Bay Delta and the Colorado River, hundreds of miles away.

This imported water is subject to rising costs and requires an enormous amount of energy to transport. It is also vulnerable to natural disasters and earthquakes. Pure Water Oceanside addresses these challenges by diversifying the City’s water supply and reducing its reliance on imported water.

Six stage process

The process uses advanced technologies to carry out water purification in several stages that replicate and accelerate nature's natural recycling process.

Ultrafiltration - Filters remove bacteria and suspended solids from reclaimed water.

Reverse osmosis - Ultra-fine filters remove salt, viruses, bacteria, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Ultraviolet light and advanced oxidation - The final polishing step neutralises any remaining substances.

Injection - Essential minerals are added before the water is injected into the Mission Basin aquifer.

Treatment - Water is extracted from the aquifer and treated again at the city's Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility.

Delivery - The water is distributed to customers!