Local

Costly error could delay San Diego's Pure Water project

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Megan Burke / News Editor

Contributors: Harrison Patiño / Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published August 9, 2022 at 4:59 PM PDT

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

Water comes out of a kitchen faucet, June 12, 2021. — Water runs down a sidewalk on Adrian Street in Point Loma after the grass was watered by automatic sprinklers, April 10, 2015.

City leaders are trying to get to the bottom of what’s being called a “costly mistake” which may delay San Diego’s ambitious Pure Water project.

Construction of a sewage pump station off Morena Boulevard near Friars Road keeps flooding, apparently due to a miscalculation of the amount of underground water in the area.

Engineers say they need to build a dam to protect the sewage pump construction, adding $20 million to the project.

Become a KPBS sponsor

The Pure Water sewage recycling system is intended to provide nearly 50% of the city's drinking water by 2035 and reduce the need for imported water.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reporter David Garrick joined Midday Edition on Tuesday with more on what the setback means for the ambitious project.

Local

Maureen Cavanaugh

twitter

Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

What do you want to hear host Jade Hindmon talk about on Midday?

Megan Burke

twitter

Megan Burke is an Emmy-award winning news editor overseeing the environment, health, and racial justice and social equity reporting beats. Prior to her current role as editor, Megan spent more than a decade as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition, a daily radio news magazine and podcast. Other news production credits include KPBS Evening Edition, KPBS Roundtable, and San Diego’s DNA, a two-part documentary highlighting the region’s oldest traditions and culture using personal artifacts and oral histories of San Diegans.

See stories by Megan Burke

What do you want to hear host Jade Hindmon talk about on Midday?