Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Fallbrook Public Utility District board members and dignitaries arrive at the new water treatment plant during a drive through tour of the new water treatment plant construction progress during a special board meeting, Nov. 10.
FPUD water treatment plant construction manager Franz Schauer, leads a conference call for guests staying in their vehicles in an effort to practice social distancing during a tour of the water treatment plant construction along the south end of Alturas Road in Fallbrook.
A variety of new water tanks are installed at the FPUD water treatment plant construction site.
A series of reverse osmosis water treatment filters is seen during a tour of the new FPUD water treatment plant construction.
New water tanks of different sizes are installed at the FPUD water treatment plant construction site.
FPUD senior engineer Aaron Cook, left, provides information to board members and dignitaries about the new water treatment plant during a tour of the construction's progress in Fallbrook.
The drive-thru tour of the FPUD water treatment facilities construction follows along the new pipeline route and ends at the new Martin reservoir off of East Mission Road near Fallen Leaf Lane.
A participant on the tour of the new FPUD water treatment construction looks inside a portal of the new Martin reservoir water tank.
FPUD public affairs officer Noelle Denke is seen taking notes through a portal inside the new Martin reservoir water tank during a special tour of the new water treatment facilities in Fallbrook.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District held a Nov. 10 tour of the Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project.
All five FPUD board members participated in the tour. If a majority of board members are present, an activity must be noticed as a public meeting, and members of the public were also invited to join the tour.
Approximately five members of the public participated in the tour as did FPUD General Manager Jack Bebee, FPUD Chief Engineer Aaron Cook, FPUD Public Affairs Specialist Noelle Denke, and FPUD legal counsel Paula de Sousa Mills.
Filanc Alberici JV was awarded the construction contract in July 2019, and Filanc civil engineer Franz Schauer was also on the tour.
This is a great way to get a visual of progress to date on the project," Bebee said.
Bebee and Schauer provided the information during the tour, which took approximately 90 minutes. It began at the FPUD administrative headquarters, and the participants caravanned to the treatment plant on Alturas Road.
After the construction is completed, the treatment plant will include iron and manganese removal tanks, reverse osmosis treatment, granular activated carbon treatment, and four 250-horsepower distribution pumps.
Most of the tour was by conference call from the participants' vehicles although those on the tour briefly left their automobiles to view the construction at the treatment plant.
"We just kind of got a bird's-eye view," Denke said.
The Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project is being pursued by FPUD, Camp Pendleton, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and will enhance groundwater recharge and recovery capability within the lower Santa Margarita River basin by the development of a program to increase available water supplies for FPUD and Camp Pendleton.
"The project is important for Fallbrook because it will help us control our water costs and reduce water purchases from our wholesaler which continually has high rate increases," Bebee said.
The Camp Pendleton infrastructure will include piping to deliver the water to the boundary of the Naval Weapons Station and Fallbrook behind the FPUD solar facility site on Alturas Road.
Construction of the facilities from the NWS boundary is FPUD's responsibility. The water will be treated at the Alturas Road plant and delivered into FPUD's distribution system.
"From there we drove the route of the newly-installed pipeline," Denke said.
More than 7,000 feet of pipeline have been installed, which makes that task about 60% complete. The route from the treatment plant took the participants along Merida Drive, Hill Avenue, Almond Street, Palomino Road, and McDonald Road.
"From there the new pipe will be tied in to our existing water lines along Mission Road," Denke said.
After the Conjunctive Use Project water is conveyed to the Gheen Zone east of Stage Coach Lane, the Gheen Reservoir and the Martin Reservoir off of East Mission Road will be used to balance supply and demand. The previous Martin tank has been replaced with a larger welded steel tank, and the tour included the Gheen Reservoir which has a six million gallon capacity and the new Martin Reservoir which is currently empty but will be able to hold four million gallons.
If there is additional surplus water from the Conjunctive Use Project that supply will be conveyed to Red Mountain Reservoir.
As of the Nov. 10 date of the tour, 402 construction days had been completed. The Conjunctive Use Project is on schedule and is expected to be complete in early 2022. The board tour of the Conjunctive Use Project was the second such tour; the first one took place May 29.
A third tour is expected at a date to be determined. "The board is very interested in tours like this," Denke said.
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