Pipework for Carlsbad Desalination Plant Is Half Complete

A 10-mile pipeline that will carry water from a desalination plant in Carlsbad to a distribution network is halfway to completion, Poseidon Water and the San Diego County Water Authority announced today.

Around five miles of large-diameter pipes have been installed in Carlsbad, San Marcos and Vista.

Pipeline installation began last spring in San Marcos, where street restoration is under way, according to Poseidon, the developer, and the water authority. More restorations are taking place in Vista.

Construction is ongoing in Carlsbad, particularly along Faraday Avenue. Pipeline installation on South Melrose Drive began this month and is expected to continue through 2015.

"We are thrilled with the smooth progress of construction on this vital project," said Maureen Stapleton, general manager of the water authority. "Current statewide drought conditions underscore the value of diversifying the water supplies that support our region's 3.1 million residents, and the Carlsbad Desalination Project is an important part of our strategy to enhance water supply reliability."

The $1 billion desalination plant will purify collected ocean water and deliver 50 million gallons a day, estimated to be enough to serve 112,000 households.

"A project of this size is an enormous task that impacts the communities where we are working, and we would not be celebrating this milestone without the cooperation and support of the residents, businesses, property owners and city staff in Carlsbad, Vista and San Marcos," said Peter MacLaggan, vice president of Poseidon Water.

The project is scheduled for completion in early 2016, though Poseidon and the water authority are holding out hope that water deliveries could begin late next year.

—City News Service