Two of the City of San Diego’s water treatment plants are being recognized on a national level by the Partnership for Safe Water for a commitment to superior water quality. 

The Miramar Water Treatment Plant received the 10-Year Presidents Award for Water Treatment, having received a Presidents Award every year since 2013. It is one of only four plants in the country to earn this award. The Otay Water Treatment Plant received the Phase III 15-Year Directors Award for Water Treatment, having received the Directors Award every year since 2008. Otay is also one of just four plants in the country to earn this award. 

“These prestigious awards recognize our commitment to producing high-quality drinking water for all San Diegans,” said Juan Guerreiro, Director of the City’s Public Utilities Department, which operates the plants. “These honors reflect the dedication of the men and women who work every day to make our water system one of the best in the country.” 

The Partnership for Safe Water is an alliance of six drinking water organizations: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, National Association of Water Companies and the Water Research Foundation. The City’s water treatment plants have been recognized by the Partnership for Safe Water many times over the past decade. 

The awards recognize the Public Utilities Department’s excellence in optimizing water treatment plant and water distribution system operation and performance. To earn these awards, treatment plants must demonstrate a continuous commitment to providing high-quality water to customers, even beyond regulatory requirements.  

In operation since 1962, 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 City’s Miramar Reservoir, the plant has a capacity of producing 144 million gallons of treated drinking water per day. The Miramar Plant will play an important role in the City’s Pure Water program, which will provide nearly half of San Diego's water supply locally by the end of 2035.  

The Otay Water Treatment Plant began operation in 1914 and is located near the City’s Lower Otay Reservoir. The plant provides drinking water to an estimated 100,000 customers in the southern area of the city. The smallest of the City’s three water treatment plants, Otay Water Treatment Plant has the capacity to produce 34 million gallons of treated drinking water per day.