Projects, Facilities & Operations

Building and operating the infrastructure required to meet the county’s water needs now and into the future requires careful planning. The Water Authority uses a sophisticated approach to cost-effectively build, operate, maintain, and secure its water facilities as an integrated system.

The Water Authority will increase the height of the San Vicente Dam by 117 feet, making it the tallest dam raise in the United States and the tallest dam raise of its type in the world. The raised dam will store an additional 152,000 acre-feet of water, more than doubling the capacity of San Vicente Reservoir.

The infrastructure that delivers water to and throughout the San Diego region is a massive network of facilities that addresses all aspects of transporting, treating, and storing water. The Water Authority has looked far into the future to ensure that this system will capably provide long-term demand management, emergency water supply storage, water treatment, and system versatility for generations to come. 

Lake Hodges and Olivenhain Reservoir - The Lake Hodges Projects will connect Lake Hodges Reservoir to the Water Authority’s Olivenhain Reservoir.

The Water Authority’s Capital Improvement Program, initiated in 1989, coordinates the planning and building of critical water facilities in a thoughtful, visionary fashion to ensure that infrastructure development reflects and addresses the region’s growth and changes.

The Water Authority operates and maintains the San Diego region’s aqueduct delivery system, which consists of approximately 300 miles of large-diameter pipeline in two aqueducts, 1,600 aqueduct-related structures, and over 100 flow-control facilities. These  facilities occupy approximately 1,400 acres within the Water Authority's right of way. The Water Authority’s works with property owners to ensure they have an understanding of easement improvements or unauthorized encroachments.

The Water Authority is committed to conduct business in an environmentally sensitive manner. The Water Authority, through its environmental program, aims to minimize impacts on the environment from its projects and programs.

The Water Authority also is committed to supporting cost-effective sustainability programs that will benefit the environment and promote thoughtful stewardship of our natural resources.

The Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant, completed in April 2008, is the largest submerged membrane water treatment plant in the world and the first treatment plant built by the San Diego County Water Authority.