$950M WATER RECYCLING PROJECT OK’D

Facility to serve one-third of East County’s needs to be operational by ’26

The governing body overseeing a proposed water recycling project in East County has unanimously voted to begin construction, a major milestone for a system projected to provide nearly a third of the water for part of the region.

The three members of the Joint Powers Authority also locked down a $950,370,000 cost for the East County Advanced Water Purification project during a public meeting Thursday in Santee.

The room erupted in applause after the “yes” votes from San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson, El Cajon Councilmember Steve Goble and August Caires, from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s board of directors.

A combination of loans, grants and other incentives will cover the cost, which has risen because of inf lation and supply chain issues. California Assemblymember Akilah Weber is also asking for $25 million from the state budget, and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa is pushing for $70 million from Congress, according to their representatives.

The wastewater treatment plant aims to clean millions of gallons a day specifically from El Cajon, Santee and other parts of the county. That water is currently used only once before it’s passed along to the coast.

The new buildings will be near Santee Lakes, between the north end of the campground and the Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for June 1. Officials hope the project will be online by the beginning of 2026.

The plant was recently threatened after San Diego officials backed out of paying for a pipeline because of legal issues. City officials attended Thursday’s meeting to offer a compromise, and project leaders said they were optimistic the issue could be resolved soon.