November 2025 News

This fall represents a period of significant progress for the East County Advanced Water Purification Program. With several major milestones complete, construction is entering the finish line- moving us closer to delivering a local, reliable water supply to East San Diego County. 

Recent Accomplishments

Completed concrete work required for the East County AWP Program site- roughly 52,000 cubic yards of concrete poured.

90% complete with construction on the Education Center building including administration offices and a brand new lab.

Completed SDG&E construction work to bring additional power to the new treatment facility- main electrical room is energized.

90% complete with major equipment installation.

The Program successfully secured two critical water discharge permits from the San Diego Regional Water Control Board: a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit authorizing purified water discharges to Lake Jennings and Sycamore Creek and a Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) Permit for the operation of the Water Recycling Facility to support non-potable reuse.

A rendering of the future Education Center vs. current construction.

An Up Close Look at Program Facilities

Membrane Filtration racks part of the Advanced Water Purification process. The membranes will be installed during start up.

Aeration basins and equalization tanks - elements of the Water Recycling Facility.

One of three digesters - a component of the Solids Handling Facility.

Restoration Efforts Underway on Mast Blvd.

Work on Mast Boulevard from Fanita Parkway to Vomac Road in Santee is nearing completion.

Final restoration efforts including paving and painting new lines on the roadway are planned for early December. This comes after work was recently completed to repair ruts in the road. Expect a temporary lane closure in the #2 westbound lane during asphalt work and roadway striping.

We appreciate your patience and ongoing support during construction of this important water project.

Water from the Advanced Water Purification Facility will travel east along the 10-mile purified water pipeline through Santee and Lakeside, ending at Lake Jennings.  

Work to repair ruts in the road was completed the week of October 27.

Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility

Sets Sights on New AWP Facility

It’s the end of an era for Padre Dam's Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility, located north of the East County Advanced Water Purification Program site in Santee.

On Sunday, October 19, the final drop of wastewater made its way through the Facility, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.

The Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility was established in the late 1950s, with the initial project leading to the development of Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, which opened in 1961.

The WRF expanded in 1997 to produce its current two million gallons of recycled water per day- diverting precious water from entering the ocean and in turn, being put to use for non-potable uses including landscaping and recreation.

The site is now officially offline allowing for the WRF team to begin training and hit the ground running for the start of the new WRF Facility as part of the East County AWP Program.

The new AWP WRF will have the capability to treat up to 16 million gallons of water per day with the facility slated to go online in late 2026.

“I had the opportunity to begin my career in wastewater in 1997 at the Ray Stoyer Water Recycling facility as an OIT (Operator in Training),” said Rob Northcote, East County AWP Operations Manager. “While it is sad to see 28 years of my career being shut down, I look forward to new challenges and opportunities. Being able to focus on a single facility will be nice and allow all staff to ready for the startup and commissioning of the new facility.”

Construction Underway in Mission Trails

Regional Park

Sliplining is in full swing along the Father Junipero Serra Trail within Mission Trails Regional Park. Work is roughly 15% complete from gate to gate (1.8 miles) near the Old Mission Dam parking lot to the Visitor Center.

This project will rehabilitate an existing 8-mile sewer pipeline and install a new 9-mile residuals pipeline. This portion of the project is in partnership with the City of San Diego.

Watch the short video below for construction details.

Keep in mind, this work has resulted in a partial closure of the trail Monday through Friday from 7 am to 4 pm. View our online interactive map with exact closure locations. Sliplining work will run through summer of 2028.

Temporary Bypass Pipeline Installation Complete

Work to install a temporary sewer bypass pipeline is complete.

This black, 28-inch HDPE pipeline begins at Father Junipero Serra Trail and Mission Gorge Road in Santee, travels Mission Trails Regional Park, exits back onto Mission Gorge Road in the City of San Diego and ends northeast of Conestoga Road.

This temporary pipeline allows us to work during the rainy months without risking a sewer spill- protecting wildlife and local waterways.

The bypass pipeline was placed underground through intersections and at trailheads to maintain public access. It is 20,500 linear feet, or about 3.9 miles long. The bypass will remain on the roadway through 2028.

Work Resumes on the West Side of Santee Lakes

Crews have resumed work along the west side of Santee Lakes next to Lake One and Padre Dam’s Operations Yard.

Construction entails horizontal directional drilling- a trenchless method for installing underground pipes. It's a technique that avoids traditional open-cut trenches by first creating a small-diameter hole and then expanding it to a larger size before pulling the pipe through. HDD is especially useful for environmentally sensitive areas and communities because it minimizes disruption. This work is being done to connect a 36-inch wastewater pipeline under the San Diego River to a pump station needed for the East County Advanced Water Purification Project. 

Beginning in mid-November, drilling will take place from 7 am to approximately 9 pm. From 9 pm until midnight, maintenance and other lower-impact work will take place.

Crews will use trucks, equipment and light towers which may create sound and bright lights needed for safe operations. Noise mitigation will be implemented during nighttime work hours. 

This work is scheduled Monday through Saturday from 7 am to midnight through summer 2026.

Overnight Work to Begin Soon on Fairmount Avenue

Overnight work is set to begin in early December on Fairmount Avenue between Twain Avenue and Mission Gorge Road from 9 pm to 5 am, Monday through Thursday.

This work is to prepare for pipeline construction for the East County AWP Program.

Expect possible noise and bright lights, road and lane closures during work hours and parking restrictions.

Work will take place intermittently through February 2026.

Recent Community Events

The East County AWP Program team enjoyed connecting with residents at Padre Dam's 70th Anniversary Open House and Santee Lakes' Spooktacular.

These opportunities to engage face-to-face with the people we will serve have been invaluable.

Sending a big thank you to those who have stopped by and said hello to our team during these events. We are looking forward to the next one!

Newly Paved Lake Jennings Access Road

East County AWP construction crews recently completed restoration efforts along the Lake Jennings Access Road Trail.

Located on the north end of the lake in the Half Moon Cove area, the roadway was compacted and paved following purified water pipeline installation work. This 10-mile purified water pipeline, which stretches from the East County AWP Facility in Santee out to Lake Jennings was completed in June of this year. 

The Lake Jennings Access Road Trail is open to bicyclists entering from the campground and hikers with a permit during operating hours.

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 East County AWP.