To be eligible for funding, work must be completed by September 2021 and help the City conserve water. The project is included in the City’s proposed FY 19/20 Capital Improvement Budget, which was considered by the Oceanside City Council in June. The City’s cost-share requirement for Phase 1 is $7.4 Million, with total project costs estimated at $15.3 Million upon completion.
Reclamation selected forty-five projects from projects based on two categories. In the first category, 28 projects from 11 states were selected to share $7.5 million with each project receiving up to $300,000 in federal funding and having a completion timeframe of less than two years. The second category consists of 17 projects from seven states, sharing $21.5 million. These projects are receiving up to $1.5 million in federal funding and will be completed in three years.
The Oceanside project builds upon several earlier partnerships between the Bureau of Reclamation and the City. In 2012, the Bureau provided $3.35 Million to fund a portion of the cost of the Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility; in 2016, the Bureau provided $35,905 in grant funding to operate a pilot plant to test technologies to recover brine for potable use; and previously in 2019, the Bureau provided $2.623 million to construct two extraction wells within the Mission Basis, as well as brine minimization treatment components.
The City Council has set an ongoing goal to develop 50% of the City’s water supplies locally by 2030. The citywide plan to achieve the supply goal includes an active water use efficiency program, an Indirect Potable Recharge Project in the Mission Basin, as well as recycled water pipelines supplying the El Camino Real corridor and the agricultural area of Morro Hills. “We are grateful for the support of the Bureau of Reclamation,” said Cari Dale, Water Utilities Director. “The ongoing support from the Bureau has helped Oceanside increase water supply reliability into the future.”
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About the City of Oceanside: The City of Oceanside is located in northern San Diego County with a population of approximately 178,000. Oceanside’s vibrant coastal community includes MiraCosta Community College, Camp Pendleton to the north, and the world-renowned 1,601-foot fishing pier and 1,000-slip public marina. Oceanside is located 83 miles south of the City of Los Angeles and just 35 miles north of the City of San Diego. The City of Oceanside offers outstanding public amenities such as 30 city parks, four community recreation centers, two municipal swim centers, two senior centers, two city-owned golf courses and 3.5 miles of public beaches. More than 6,000 businesses operate within the City of Oceanside, including Genentech Pharmaceuticals, TE Connectivity, Hydranautics, Nitto Denko, Gilead Sciences, Hobie Cat and Tri-City Medical Center, as well as emerging craft and entrepreneurial ventures.