Oceanside, CA–The City of Oceanside received an Award of Excellence during the WateReuse conference in September 2021.
Oceanside received the Recycled Water Outreach/Education Program Award for Pure Water Oceanside, which pays tribute to an agency that demonstrates a significant and wide-reaching community outreach and/or public education program that informs the community about the presence and benefits of water reuse.
Scheduled to be complete in 2022, Pure Water Oceanside will be the first fully operational indirect potable reuse project in San Diego County providing more than 32% of the City of Oceanside’s water supply. The city has implemented strategic public outreach and education in order to provide an interactive experience and highlight the importance of this project.
“The City of Oceanside is proud to receive the Recycled Water Outreach Award for Pure Water Oceanside,” said Cari Dale, Water Utilities Director, City of Oceanside. “Developing the first fully operational advanced water purification facility in San Diego County requires community support and we are fortunate to have Oceanside’s.”
The city offered a tour of the program which allows the public to directly experience and interact with program operators, engineers, and project managers. Videos and educational material highlighted the benefits of Pure Water Oceanside including decreased dependence on imported water, using one-third of the energy required to desalinate seawater, helping to make Oceanside more drought-resilient, protecting the groundwater basin from saltwater contamination, and protecting the environment by reusing a precious resource.
The city has made great efforts in the development of water reuse programs in order to address the variety of challenges facing the city and the entire southwest region. In 2009, the Oceanside City Council made the ambitious goal of a 50% local water supply by 2030. To highlight the efforts made to reach this goal, the public was invited to attend “Oceanside’s World of Water Day” at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility. At the event, guests were able to learn about the technology behind Pure Water Oceanside by touring the facility, participating in hands-on water experiments, watching equipment demonstrations, and even participating in water-themed crafts.
Community members who are interested in experiencing Pure Water Oceanside can view the city’s 360-degree virtual tour on the website at www.PureWaterOceanside.org. The tour provides an immersive look at the water recycling process that prepares water for Pure Water Oceanside. The advanced water purification project will create a new, local source of high-quality drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof, and environmentally sound.
