The San Diego County Water Authority's Board of Directors on Thursday approved an $11.4 million construction project to improve drinking water supply reliability in North County.
The Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir project will begin in February and includes demolition of an abandoned steel tank, building a 2.1 million-gallon storage reservoir connected to the Valley Center Pipeline, and construction of an isolation vault and an underground flow-control facility. The project is expected to be completed by winter 2022. Pacific Hydrotech Corporation of Perris, California is the contractor.
Strategic infrastructure improvements by the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies are part of the regional effort to ensure continued delivery of water to the region. The Water Authority completed a $30 million series of upgrades on the historic First Aqueduct in North County this month with the intent to ensure these facilities continue to serve the region for many more decades.
"These upgrades are investments in our future," said Gary Croucher, Water Authority board chair. "Ever-changing conditions mean the work is complex and challenging, but continued vigilance helps ensure that we can meet our region's water needs both today and for decades to come."
The Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir is intended to provide operational flexibility, enhance system reliability for the day-to-day operations of the aqueduct system and help ensure water deliveries can be maintained even if power supplies are interrupted.
The authority will continue to work with the Valley Center community, Valley Center Municipal Water District and nearby homeowners to minimize short-term construction impacts.
