Nighttime work on San Diego's First Aqueduct could impact service in these cities
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Aquaduct Progress Infographic |
The graphic provides a visual overview of the First Aqueduct project, including:
- A simplified map showing the 21-mile route from the Riverside County border to the San Vicente Reservoir
- Key project details highlighting the $66 million investment and scope of work
- A timeline showing the project phases with the current status marker at 50% completion
- Information about water capacity and service area
This infographic helps readers quickly grasp the scale, timeline, and significance of this critical infrastructure project. The graphic illustrates how the water flows from the Colorado River source through San Diego County, serving its 727,500 customers across 11 water agencies.
San Diego's First Aqueduct Reaches Critical Milestone as Phase Two Begins
The San Diego County Water Authority has reached the halfway point on a critical infrastructure project to extend the life of the historic First Aqueduct, a vital water delivery system that has served the region for more than 70 years.
Construction crews are preparing to transition to Phase Two of the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project in early March 2025, following the completion of Phase One work on Pipeline 2. The project, which began in spring 2024, will now shift focus to taking Pipeline 1 out of service for similar renovations.
"The First Aqueduct has served our region for over 70 years, and this investment is about making sure it continues to do so reliably," said Nick Serrano, chair of the Water Authority Board of Directors. "This project is a great example of our water bills at work – ensuring that the infrastructure delivering safe and clean water to our homes and businesses remains strong for generations to come."
To expedite the transition between phases, construction will take place around the clock for 10 days from February 23 to March 4. Residents in Escondido, Poway, and parts of unincorporated East County should be prepared for potential water service impacts and should expect noise, bright lights, and heavy construction equipment during nighttime work. The Water Authority is coordinating with local water agencies to minimize service interruptions.
The $66 million project represents one of the most extensive maintenance efforts in the agency's history, with renovations to 99 structures along two pipelines that stretch 21 miles from north of Escondido to the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside. These structures contain critical components such as blow-off valves for releasing water and draining the pipeline, pipeline access points, and air valves.
The First Aqueduct, which transports up to 120 million gallons of water daily to the San Diego region, was originally constructed by the federal government in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The current improvement project is expected to extend the infrastructure's lifespan by at least another 50 years.
Construction is expected to continue through summer 2026. The Water Authority has established an interactive map on their website where residents can view work sites near their addresses and find more information about the project at sdcwa.org/first-aqueduct.
Residents with questions or concerns about their water service should contact their local water supplier, while project-specific inquiries can be directed to FirstAqueduct@sdcwa.org or by calling (877) 682-9238, extension 7004.
San Diego's First Aqueduct: Water Sources and Service Areas
Water Sources
The First Aqueduct delivers water from the Colorado River to San Diego County. Originally constructed in the late 1940s as the San Vicente Aqueduct (Pipeline 1) and expanded in 1954 (Pipeline 2), the aqueduct begins at the shared border with Riverside County and extends south to the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside.Historical records show that following World War II, when San Diego's population dramatically increased after becoming a hub for the U.S. Navy, the military agreed to fund and supervise construction of the aqueduct to bring Colorado River water to the region to address growing water needs.
Customers and End Users
The First Aqueduct serves:- - 11 water agencies across San Diego County
- - Approximately 727,500 customers
- - Communities including Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and unincorporated areas of East County
Follow the Money
Regarding the financial details:
**Total project budget**: $66 million
- This is consistently mentioned across multiple documents as the estimated total cost for the entire Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project
The project is structured in two main phases:
- Phase One (focusing on Pipeline 2): Started in spring 2024 and completed in February 2025
- Phase Two (focusing on Pipeline 1): Beginning in March 2025 and expected to continue through summer 2026
Given that the project is at the halfway point in terms of timeline and has completed work on one of the two pipelines, it might be reasonable to estimate that approximately half of the budget (around $33 million) has been spent, with a similar amount remaining. However, this is an inference rather than explicitly stated in the materials.
The Water Authority positions this $66 million investment as a preventative measure that will:
- - Extend the lifespan of the pipelines by at least 50 years
- - Avoid more costly emergency repairs in the future
- - Reduce the overall cost of system maintenance
- - Ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable water supplies
Not on Your Water Bill
The $66 million for the First Aqueduct project comes from the San Diego County Water Authority's Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which is funded through wholesale water rates and charges paid by the 11 member water agencies that purchase water from the Water Authority. These member agencies include the City of San Diego's Public Utilities Department and other local water districts.
So while your water bill from the San Diego City Utility Department doesn't show a specific fee for this project, a portion of what you pay to the city for water services goes to the Water Authority's wholesale charges. The Water Authority then allocates those funds to various projects, including this aqueduct renovation.
This is what the project materials mean when they refer to "water bills across the region" funding the project. It's funded indirectly through the wholesale water rates structure rather than as a direct fee on individual residential bills.
The 11 member agencies served by the First Aqueduct purchase water from the Water Authority, and those agencies then distribute that water to their respective customers while setting their own retail rates to cover both their operational costs and the wholesale water costs they pay to the Water Authority.
Conservation Conundrum
In such a scenario, the Water Authority would likely employ one or more of these strategies:
1. **Rate increases** - Yes, they would almost certainly raise their wholesale rates to member agencies, who would then likely increase rates to customers like you. This is the most direct approach.
2. **Fixed charges restructuring** - They might shift more of their revenue structure from volumetric charges to fixed charges that customers pay regardless of how much water they use.
3. **Debt financing adjustments** - They could extend the repayment period for capital projects like this one, spreading costs over a longer timeframe.
4. **Reserve funds** - They might temporarily draw from reserves to cover the gap, though this isn't sustainable long-term.
5. **Project delays** - Some non-critical capital projects might be postponed, though essential infrastructure maintenance like the First Aqueduct project would likely proceed due to its importance for water reliability.
This scenario illustrates what water economists call the "conservation conundrum" - utilities encourage conservation while simultaneously needing to maintain infrastructure regardless of water use levels. The fixed costs of maintaining the water system (like renovating aqueducts) don't decrease when water use decreases.
San Diego has faced this exact situation during previous droughts, and typically the solution has been a combination of rate increases and revenue structure adjustments to ensure critical infrastructure projects remain funded.
Nighttime work on San Diego's First Aqueduct could impact service in these cities
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego County Water Authority is notifying residents in three cities that their water service could be impacted and to expect nighttime work this week during work on San Diego’s First Aqueduct.
Work has been ongoing to extend the life of the historic First Aqueduct, and the San Diego County Water Authority announced the project has reached the halfway point. However, as crews transition to Phase Two of the project, construction will take place around the clock for 10 days from Feb. 23 to March 4.
The 24-hour construction could impact water service for residents in Escondido, Poway and parts of unincorporated East County. Residents in those areas should also be prepared for noise, bright lights, and heavy construction equipment during nighttime work at any point during that time.
The Water Authority said it is coordinating with local water agencies to minimize the potential for interruptions to water service during construction.
Work on Phase One of the project began in the spring of 2024 on Pipeline 2 structures. As Phase One ends, Pipeline 2 is being put back in service. The second phase will take Pipeline 1 out of service.
The Water Authority did say most of the 24-hour worksites will be on undeveloped land with little to no impacts to residents or businesses.
The work is part of the 3.5-year Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project and is expected to take place through summer 2026, with renovations to 99 structures along two pipelines that run from North to South County that were constructed in the late 1940s and 50s.
The San Diego County Water Authority’s historic First Aqueduct delivers treated and untreated water from just south of the Riverside County/San Diego County border to the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside, transporting up to 120 million gallons of water per day to the San Diego region.
“As Phase One of the project moves toward completion, the Water Authority is grateful to the many neighbors and property owners impacted by the construction for their patience and support as this vital work continues. By making these improvements before they become urgent, we avoid more costly repairs and reduce the overall cost of system maintenance, while keeping our water supply safe and the taps flowing,” said Nick Serrano, Chair, San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors.
More information on the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project, including an interactive map where viewers can zoom in to view work areas, can be found at sdcwa.org/first-aqueduct.
Residents with questions or concerns about their water service can contact their local water supplier.
Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement - San Diego County Water Authority
- Project
- Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement
Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement
Project Background
The First Aqueduct delivers both treated and untreated water to 11 water agencies countywide, transporting up to 120 million gallons of water per day to the San Diego region.
After more than 7 decades of safe operations, the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project will renovate portions of two major pipelines that were built by the federal government in the late 1940s and 50s.
Funding for the $66 million effort comes from water bills across the region as part of the Water Authority’s Capital Improvement Program. When complete, the project will extend the lifespan of these vital historic pipelines by at least 50 years to ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable water supplies for the region.
Your Water Bill at Work
The three-and-a-half-year project is one of the most extensive maintenance efforts in the agency’s history.
Stretching 21-miles, the project starts north of Escondido and east of Interstate 15 and continues south to Slaughterhouse Canyon on the west and ends at the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside. Along the way the work crosses Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and parts of unincorporated San Diego County.
A total of 99 structures will be rehabilitated during the project. These structures contain blow-off valves for releasing water and draining the pipeline, pipeline access points, or air valves for releasing and letting air into the pipelines.
Connections to existing flow-control facilities are also being expanded between the two water pipelines to improve operational flexibility and maintain delivery to member agencies during construction.
This critical project will ensure that the First Aqueduct will continue to be a vital part of the regional water delivery system for decades to come.
Project Status: Current
Construction is divided into two phases, each one focusing on one of two parallel pipelines. Each pipeline is being shut down, inspected, and rehabilitated separately. This way, the Water Authority can ensure that one pipeline is always in service and avoid interruptions in water delivery to the Water Authority’s retail water agencies.
Phase I of construction began in spring 2024 and is ending in February 2025. Phase II of construction is due to begin in early March 2025 and is expected to continue through summer 2026.
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Major Milestone Reached on San Diego’s Historic First Aqueduct
Work halfway completed on $66M project, spanning several communities
February 13, 2025 – The San Diego County Water Authority is at the halfway point on a
critical construction project to extend the life of the historic First Aqueduct and ensure
continued delivery of safe and reliable water supplies for the region.
Work on the project, known as the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement
Project, is expected to run through summer 2026 with renovations to 99 structures
along two large diameter pipelines that run from north to south county.
“The First Aqueduct has served our region for over 70 years, and this investment is
about making sure it continues to do so reliably,” said Nick Serrano, chair of the Water
Authority Board of Directors. “This project is a great example of our water bills at work –
ensuring that the infrastructure delivering safe and clean water to our homes and
businesses remains strong for generations to come.”
The project represents one of the most extensive maintenance efforts in the agency’s
history. The First Aqueduct serves 11 water agencies countywide. Improvements are
focused on two parallel pipelines that were construction in the late 1940s and 50s.
The three-and-a-half-year project stretches 21-miles starting north of Escondido and
east of Interstate 15, continuing south to Slaughterhouse Canyon in unincorporated San
Diego County and ending at the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside. Along the way the
work crosses Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and parts of unincorporated San
Diego County.
Funding for the $66 million effort comes from water bills across the region as part of the
Water Authority's Capital Improvement Program.
Phase One of the work began in spring 2024 on Pipeline 2 structures. That work is
scheduled to conclude at the end of February with Pipeline 2 being put back in service.
The second phase will take Pipeline 1 out of service so that work on its structures can
begin. By working on the parallel pipelines separately, the Water Authority keeps one
pipeline in service and minimizes potential for interruptions to water delivery during
construction.
“As Phase One of the project moves toward completion, the Water Authority is grateful
to the many neighbors and property owners impacted by the construction for their
patience and support as this vital work continues,” Serrano said. “By making these
improvements before they become urgent, we avoid more costly repairs and reduce the
overall cost of system maintenance, while keeping our water supply safe and the taps
flowing.”
To expedite the transition to Phase Two of the project, construction will take place
around the clock for 10 days from Feb. 23 to March 4. Night work is planned for seven
locations. Most of the 24-hour worksites are on undeveloped land with negligible
impacts on residents or businesses.
The Water Authority is coordinating with local water agencies to minimize the potential
for interruptions to water service during construction. Residents with questions or
concerns about water service should contact their local water supplier, while questions
about the project should be directed to the Water Authority at
FirstAqueduct@sdcwa.org.
For more information about the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project,
including an interactive map where viewers can find work sites near their own
addresses, visit www.sdcwa.org/first-aqueduct.
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