Genesee Avenue, the road that runs past La Jolla Country Day, has been undergoing heavy construction as part of San Diego’s Pure Water Program for the past two years. While there has not been any work done right in front of LJCDS, the surrounding area has been seriously impacted. Large trenches were dug, and new pipes have been installed, which necessitated ongoing road and lane closures in different sections of the project and Genesee Ave. This has led to significant increases in traffic and confusion, especially during weekday morning and evening commute times, including into our school. Roads have been cut off and vehicles have been rerouted in order to make way for the project. The goal of the Pure Water Program is to provide 50% of purified and recycled drinking water to San Diegans, instead of importing it. While the pipe installation is tentatively scheduled to finish this fall, construction crews still need to repave the roads and clear leftover debris.
The good news is that new pipes will take roughly 32 million gallons of water a day to the North City Water Reclamation Plant to be recycled instead of just being released into the ocean. The water will then be sent to the Miramar Reservoir for more treatment. Construction will also be done to expand and modernize both plants. The project is estimated to cost a whopping $1.4 billion, with the city of San Diego taking a $614 million loan from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), which is run by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Currently, San Diego imports about 85% of its water from the Northern California Bay Delta and the Colorado River with the help of the San Diego County Water Authority. The city has been doing this since 1946, but the new pipelines will lessen the reliance on other resources, and will be extremely helpful during droughts—especially as climate change becomes worse.
With schools and fall traffic in full swing, it is important to allow enough time to get to school and work on time. Hopefully, the rest of the construction will continue smoothly and the project will be completed on time.
