Construction involves planned shutdowns through February

FALLBROOK – In just over a year, more than half of the water that pours from Fallbrook taps will be from its own backyard – the Santa Margarita River.

Now one year into construction, Fallbrook Public Utility District has installed about 7,000 feet of pipeline, making the pipeline portion of the river project about 60% complete. The new segment runs from Alturas Road through part of town, ending at McDonald and Mission roads.

The next step is to tie the new segment of pipe into the existing water main at Mission Road. Doing this will involve several planned shutdowns in the vicinity of Palomino and McDonald roads.

Construction ramps up with planned shutdowns

The shutdowns will occur during November through the end of February. The shutdowns will mostly be day-long events and potentially one or more nighttime events. FPUD crews are being careful to space them out and avoid holidays. The work is being done by contractor Filanc Alberici.

Residential shutdowns will occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to avoid any early morning and evening disruptions. For shutdowns impacting businesses, shutdowns will be done overnight to limit disruptions to business operations. Affected customers will be notified at least two weeks prior to the shutdowns.

The project as a whole includes some 11,000 feet of pipe. A new 4-million-gallon water tank has been built, and a water treatment plant is under construction near the wastewater treatment plant on Alturas Road. The entire project is on schedule and on budget.

Moving forward with securing our own, local water supply

Once built, using water from the river will provide a buffer from escalating imported water costs and an additional shield against drought. That's important because it will allow FPUD to reduce water purchases from its wholesaler.

Submitted by Fallbrook Public Utility District.