Your Water

Drinking Water supply

Padre Dam imports 100 percent of our potable water supply from the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA). SDCWA receives the majority of its supply from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California. The water is treated at Metropolitan’s Skinner Treatment Plant near Temecula, the SDCWA’s Twin Oaks Valley Treatment Plant in San Marcos, Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant and Helix Water District’s Levy Treatment Plant in Lakeside.

The tap water customers receive from Padre Dam is blended water from the Colorado River System, the California State Water Project, ocean water from the desalination plant and local watersheds within San Diego County.

Recycled Water

Recycled water is an important part of San Diego County's future water supply. Every drop of recycled water used for nonpotable uses saves drinking water resources. Padre Dam produces two million gallons of recycled water a day at our Water Recycling Facility. Our recycled water provides irrigation water throughout Santee and provides the water that fills Santee lakes.

ADVANCED WATER PURIFICATION

The East County Advanced Water Purification Project will create a new, local, sustainable and drought proof drinking water supply using state-of-the-art technology to purify East County’s recycled water. This water recycling opportunity would diversify East County’s water supply and reduce our dependence on imported water. The full scale project will produce up to 30 percent of East County’s current drinking water demands. The Project is a partnership between Padre Dam, Helix Water District, City of El Cajon and the County of San Diego. Learn more about this Project and take a tour of the demonstration facility.

Wastewater

Padre Dam collects wastewater for our Western Service Area (Santee and parts of El Cajon and Lakeside). We treat two million gallons of wastewater per day, which is approximately 40 percent of Santee's wastewater, at our Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility. The remaining 60 percent is sent to the City of San Diego's Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Facility.