San Diego City Wire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego is commemorating the 60th anniversary of Miramar Reservoir while planning for the facility’s important role in the City’s future water needs.

For the past six decades, Miramar Reservoir has served millions of San Diegans as part of the City’s water system and as a popular recreational area. Now the City plans to use the reservoir as part of its Pure Water system that will provide up to a third of San Diego’s water by 2035.

“We celebrate not only Miramar Reservoir’s past, but the critical role it will play when the Pure Water system is completed,” said Shauna Lorance, Director of the City’s Public Utilities Department. “Miramar Reservoir will continue to be a key part of our water system for many years to come.”

Miramar was the last of the City’s nine reservoirs to be created. Its construction was completed in 1960 as part of the second San Diego Aqueduct. Imported water is pumped from the aqueduct to the reservoir before it is treated by the adjacent Miramar Water Treatment Plant and delivered to customers.

When the Pure Water system comes online, Miramar Reservoir will switch from holding imported water to holding purified water that is received through a pipeline from the planned North City Pure Water Facility. The water will then go through a second treatment process at the Miramar Water Treatment Plant before being distributed to homes and businesses. Bids for construction of the North City Pure Water Facility are anticipated this fall.

Since the mid-1960s, the reservoir has been a popular recreational destination. An estimated 100,000 people visit Miramar each year to enjoy jogging, biking, fishing, boating, picnicking and other activities.

More information about Miramar and other City reservoirs is available at sandiego.gov/reservoirs-lakes.