Papers and Reports

The City of San Diego (City) embarked on an expansive plan for water reclamation and reuse with formation of the Clean Water Program (CWP) in 1987. On January 1, 1994, the program evolved into what is now called the Metropolitan Wastewater Department (MWWD). The program’s basic objectives are to provide additional needed capacity in the wastewater system by upgrading facilities and to supplement local water resources through water reclamation and reuse. San Diego currently imports approximately 90 percent of its water supply placing the City in a precarious position during an extended drought or natural disaster. With much of the City’s wastewater system in need of upgrading, it was determined that water reclamation could provide both treatment to relieve downstream facilities and introduce a new source of water supply. The water reclamation system is configured by a need for wastewater treatment capacity as well as markets for reclaimed water.