The City of San Diego’s efforts to create a sustainable local water supply have reached a major milestone. The final piece of more than eight miles of underground pipes was installed as part of Pure Water San Diego's North City Pure Water Pipeline project. Once the system is active, the completed pipeline will help move 30 million gallons of purified water per day from the North City Pure Water Facility in Sorrento Valley to the Miramar Reservoir.

With the final piece of pipe installed under Hoyt Park Drive in Scripps Ranch, crews will commission the system and begin testing. In the coming months, crews will also complete related construction including installing curb ramps and repaving and restriping impacted roads.

“When I took office, Pure Water was the largest and most consequential infrastructure commitment in San Diego’s history," said Mayor Todd Gloria. "My administration took responsibility for delivering it, and with the final segment of this pipeline installed, a promise on paper is now eight miles of steel in the ground. This project will fundamentally reshape San Diego’s water future—producing 30 million gallons locally every day, reducing our dependence on imported supplies and providing greater water security for generations. This is the kind of bold, lasting investment San Diegans expect us to deliver.”

The North City Pure Water Pipeline project is a $182 million investment as part of San Diego’s advanced water purification system. The project began in 2021 and included the design and construction of eight miles of 48-inch steel pipeline and fiber-optic infrastructure, six tunnels and one railroad bridge crossing. The project also constructed a new de-chlorination facility near Miramar Reservoir and approximately one mile of underwater pipeline within the reservoir to distribute purified water.

This project is one of 12 major construction projects that make up Pure Water Phase 1, the largest infrastructure project in the City’s history.

"This pipeline is the critical link that will carry purified water from the North City Pure Water Facility to Miramar Reservoir, and it brings us closer to producing more of our water right here in San Diego,” said Drew Kleis, Director of the Public Utilities Department. "While there is still work ahead to test the system and restore the roads along the route, we are grateful to the residents and businesses who have shown such patience throughout construction.”

Pure Water San Diego is an advanced water purification program that will provide San Diego with a reliable local water supply, while significantly reducing treated wastewater discharges to the Pacific Ocean. The program will use proven water purification technology to clean recycled water to produce safe, high-quality drinking water, reducing our reliance on imported water.

The North City Pure Water Facility and the conveyance pipelines are one of several major water infrastructure projects in Phase 1 of Pure Water San Diego. For more information, visit purewatersd.org.