The City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department operates several major facilities to treat water and wastewater.

Alvarado Water Quality Lab

Located adjacent to the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant, Water Quality Lab staff includes chemists, microbiologists and sub-professionals. Samples are brought to this central location from the treatment plants, water sampling sites and the ocean monitoring boats for chemical and biological analysis as necessary to insure proper operation of the treatment plants, and compliance with federal and state permits and environmental protection.

Alvarado Water Treatment Plant

Located adjacent to Murray Reservoir, the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant provides treated drinking water to customers in the central section of the city. Plant capacity is 120 million gallons of treated drinking water per day. For more information, see the Water Quality section. This fact sheet also includes more information about the City's water treatment plants.

Environmental Monitoring and Technical Services Laboratory

Located at Liberty Station, Environmental Monitoring and Technical Services supports the City's Ocean Monitoring Program, the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the world. Lab staff oversees all regulatory permits and takes and analyzes samples of the ocean bottom, fish and water near the Point Loma and South Bay outfalls. 

Metropolitan Biosolids Center

The Metropolitan Biosolids Center, located near the Miramar Landfill, is the City's regional biosolids treatment facility. Biosolids are the nutrient-rich, processed organic material produced by the wastewater treatment process. The facility produces dewatered biosolids that are approximately 30% solids and 70% water, the consistency of wet plaster. For more information, see the Metropolitan Biosolids Center Master Plan. And to learn more, this fact sheet about the center.

Miramar Water Treatment Plant

The Miramar Water Treatment Plant provides treated drinking water to an estimated 500,000 customers in the northern section of the city. Located adjacent to Miramar Reservoir, the plant has a capacity of 144 million gallons of treated drinking water per day. For more information, see the Water Quality section. This fact sheet also includes more information about the City's water treatment plants.

North City Water Reclamation Plant

The North City Water Reclamation Plant can treat up to 30 million gallons of wastewater per day. Reclaimed water produced at the plant is distributed throughout the northern region of San Diego via more than 79 miles of distribution to our customers for irrigation, landscaping and industrial use. The plant also provides reclaimed water for the City of Poway. Reclaimed pipelines, sprinkler heads, meter boxes and other irrigation equipment are color-coded purple to distinguish reclaimed water pipes from drinking water systems. For more information, see the Recycled Water section. For annual monitoring reports, see the Wastewater Treatment Monitoring Reports web page. The North City Water Reclamation Plant is also the home of the Pure Water San Diego project. To learn more, please see this fact sheet about the City's water reclamation plants.

Otay Water Treatment Plant

The Otay Water Treatment Plant provides treated drinking water to an estimated 100,000 customers in the southern section of the city. Located adjacent to the City's Lower Otay Reservoir, the plant has a capacity of 34 million gallons of treated drinking water per day. For more information, see the Water Quality section. This fact sheet also includes more information about the City's water treatment plants.

Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant treats approximately 175 million gallons of wastewater per day generated in a 450-square-mile area by more than 2.2 million residents. Located in Point Loma, the plant has a treatment capacity of 240 million gallons per day. .

Pure Water Facility

The City's 1-million-gallon-per-day demonstration Pure Water Facility is open for free public tours. Participating in a tour is a great way to learn about the water purification process and get an up-close look at the cutting-edge technology used to clean recycled water to produce safe, high-quality drinking water. For more information, see the Pure Water section.

South Bay Water Reclamation Plant

The South Bay Water Reclamation Plant relieves the South Metro Sewer Interceptor System and provides local wastewater treatment services and reclaimed water to the South Bay. The plant has a wastewater treatment capacity of 15 million gallons a day. Reclaimed pipelines, sprinkler heads, meter boxes and other irrigation equipment are color-coded purple to distinguish reclaimed water pipes from drinking water systems. For more information, see the Recycled Water section. For annual monitoring reports, see the Wastewater Treatment Monitoring Reports webpage. To learn more, please see this fact sheet about the City's water reclamation plants.