California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Southern California’s Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD) is now providing recycled water to the Del Rayo Downs Homeowner Association (HOA) in Rancho Santa Fe. OMWD is working with large irrigators on the benefits of retrofitting their irrigation systems for recycled water use including schools, homeowner associations and golf courses.
“Del Ray Downs is a beautiful enclave of 65 homes, noted for its open spaces and it’s visually appealing landscaping,” stated Del Rayo Downs HOA Vice President Rita Vandergaw. “We are thrilled to have had a true working partnership with Olivenhain Municipal Water District in converting our HOA water usage to recycled water. This conversion allows us to continue to maintain our landscaping and contribute to the environment at the same time, and could not have been accomplished without the assistance of Olivenhain.”
Del Ray Downs’ conversion to recycled water enables the HOA to save money on its monthly water bill while decreasing costly imported water demands by approximately 16.5 acre-feet annually. An acre-foot is enough to serve two typical families of four for a year.
“Del Rayo Downs Homeowner Association made a good decision in taking advantage of recycled water,” said OMWD Vice President Bob Topolovac. “By irrigating its common areas with recycled water, not only is it reducing its operational costs, but it is conserving millions of gallons of potable water for indoor use.”
OMWD, a municipal water district based in Encinitas, serves approximately 86,000 customers in Encinitas, Carlsbad, San Diego, San Marcos, Solana Beach, and neighboring communities in its 48 square mile footprint. The district can produce up to two million gallons of recycled water daily at its 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility. In total, OMWD meets approximately 14 percent of its demands with recycled water, providing a sustainable and locally sourced portion of its overall water portfolio.
OMWD has also developed partnerships with neighboring recycled water providers to serve recycled water to other portions of its service area. In meeting with large irrigators on the benefits of recycled water, OMWD aids its customers with retrofitting their irrigation systems through their water loan program which helps in paying for the necessary equipment and system upgrades to retrofit and use this drought-resilient water supply.
