San Diego water quality: then
When California became the 31st state in 1850, San Diego had just 650 residents. At the time, drawing water from the San Diego River and a few private wells sufficed as the city’s main water source. But by 1873, the population had grown to 2,000, and so the first public well was drilled. Water was distributed by horse and carriage to early residents at 25 cents per bucket, but many complained of poor water quality. So, city engineers went to work, drilling 12 wells in the bed of the San Diego River and storing the water in the Old Town Reservoir.
Despite new innovations to the San Diego water system, wells couldn’t keep up with demands. Between 1887 and 1897, San Diego built six reservoirs in all to store the city’s water as well as to replace wooden flume with cast iron pipes. The system of reservoirs and dams provided enough water until the military population in San Diego exploded during World War II. City officials needed to look further for a solution. In 1944, they started construction on the San Diego Aqueduct to draw water from the Colorado River, followed by the construction of the San Vicente Reservoir in 1947.
Drought-prone, San Diego currently imports most of its water supply, the bulk of which is raw (untreated) water purchased from the San Diego County Water Authority. Most San Diego tap water is sourced from the Colorado River and State Water Project. Throughout the year, the ratio of water from each source changes, influenced by the source, climate, geology, and land activities.
In the early 2000’s, officials began a 12-year program to replace old cast iron pipes that diminished San Diego water quality. Since 2013, the city has replaced approximately 220 miles of water mains and aims to replace the remaining 60 miles of cast-iron mains by 2024.
