Lower Santa Margarita River recycled water pilot project among CWA's IRWM grant applications

The San Diego County Water Authority has an Integrated Regional Water Management plan and the state's Department of Water Resources has a grant program for IRWM projects. The latest SDCWA grant applications include one for the Fallbrook Public Utility District’s pilot program which would recharge recycled water in the Santa Margarita River basin.

A unanimous Sept. 26 CWA board vote approved grant applications totaling $14,416,156 including $687,500 for the FPUD indirect potable reuse pilot project.

“We are looking at doing a pilot to reclaim groundwater in the Santa Margarita Basin,” FPUD general manager Jack Bebee. “It’s to put more water into the groundwater basin using recycled supplies that are going into the ocean.”

In November 2002, the state’s voters approved Proposition 50, which authorized the spending of $3.4 billion for projects involving fresh water and coastal resources. Chapter 8 of Proposition 50 authorized up to $500 million for integrated regional water management planning and implementation grants.

Following the passage of Proposition 50, the CWA board authorized the agency’s general manager to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the city of San Diego and San Diego County to form a regional water management group which would lead the IRWM effort in the San Diego region. The CWA was designated as the lead agency of the RWMG, which also organized a Regional Advisory Committee with 27 representatives from water management, business, academia and other sectors. The initial San Diego IRWM was adopted by the CWA board in 2007 and approved by DWR in 2009.

“It’s a way to increase reliable water supply,” CWA principal water resources specialist Mark Stadler said.

In November 2006, the state’s voters passed Proposition 84, which authorized $1 billion of integrated water regional management funding including $91 million for the San Diego hydrologic region, which includes parts of Orange County and Riverside County. The November 2014 election included the passage of Proposition 1, which allocates $510 million for IRWM projects including $37 million to the San Diego County portion of the San Diego hydrologic region. DWR does not issue the entire amount of IRWM funding in one grant application process but utilizes rounds of grant applications and awards.

The CWA administers grants for member agencies and other applicants. Proposition 50 funded 18 projects totaling $25.0 million while Proposition 84 funded 39 projects totaling $65.6 million. In 2016 the CWA board approved grants for 10 Proposition 1 projects totaling $5.75 million.

The next round of grant applications will be submitted later this year.

“Hopefully we’ll get a positive response early next year,” Stadler said.

Because the grant funding is allocated by region, the San Diego region will receive the full amount but DWR must approve the specific projects. The grant application process includes consultation with DWR, and some of the applications may be refined.

The Regional Advisory Committee met five times to discuss the current round’s 18 grant proposals totaling $87 million before voting unanimously, with two abstentions, to recommend six grant requests including the FPUD project.

“This is just to look at a pilot,” Bebee said.

The indirect potable reuse program would be separate from the Santa Margarita River Conjunctive Use Project which will enhance groundwater recharge and recovery capability within the lower Santa Margarita River basin and develop a program which will increase available water supplies for FPUD and U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

“It’s sort of like a second phase building on those supplies,” Bebee said. “CUP just makes use of existing water supplies. This would supplement it.”

The grants do not fully fund the projects. The estimated total cost of the FPUD pilot project is $1.5 million.

“We’re moving forward getting a consultant on board,” Bebee said.