2019 Annual Report
Diversification
and Efficiency
In 1944, President Roosevelt ordered the U.S. Navy to construct Pipeline 1, connecting the Colorado River Aqueduct in Riverside County to San Vicente Reservoir.
Pacific on Tap: Desal Plant Delivers 40+ Billion Gallons of Water
In December, the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant reached a major milestone – 40 billion gallons of drought-resilient drinking water produced during three years of commercial operation.
“It’s incredible what we’ve accomplished in three years. Since coming online in 2015, the Carlsbad Desalination Plant has met nearly 10 percent of the region’s water demand, and it will be a core water resource for decades to come.”
Water Authority
Supervisor Bill Horn declared Dec. 13, 2018, as Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant Day, and a ceremonial toast was made with desalinated water.
The Carlsbad Desalination Plant provides San Diego County with an average of 50 million gallons of high-quality, locally controlled, water every day.
The plant is a major component of the Water Authority’s multi-decade strategy to diversify the region’s water supply portfolio to ensure regional reliability.