Starting Saturday, visitors will be able to take their boats, canoes, floating tubes and kayaks on the Miramar Reservoir again following installation of a new underwater pipeline, city officials announced Wednesday.
The city suspended on-water activities at the reservoirs in September 2023 to install the 1-mile-long, branched pipeline on the reservoir bottom, according to the San Diego Public Utilities Department.
The new pipeline is part of Pure Water San Diego, a phased, multi-year program that aims to provide almost half of the local water supply by 2035. Purified water produced at the North City Pure Water Facility will flow through 8 miles of underground pipeline before reaching the branched pipeline distributing water throughout the reservoir.
According to the city, the cost-effective program will use "proven purification technology to clean recycled water and produce safe, high-quality drinking water, and provide a reliable and sustainable supply."
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Juan Guerreiro, director of the Public Utilities Department, thanked San Diegans "for their patience during this important construction project for our local water supply. We are happy to welcome back residents and visitors for all recreational activities at the reservoir," Guerreiro added.
Officials said Pure Water is the largest integrated infrastructure project in the city government's history, with construction on the first phase slightly over 55% complete.
When finished, officials said Phase 1 will produce an annual average of 30 million gallons daily of purified water.
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Now in the planning stage, Phase 2 will produce an additional 53 million gallons a day, according to the city.
The city of San Diego owns and operates nine reservoirs, including Miramar, which is open daily from sunrise to sunset. More information about Miramar Reservoir is available at sandiego.gov/reservoirs-lakes/miramar- reservoir.
