The Coast News Group
Encinitas

OMWD offers free recycled water

4S RANCH — On July 26, Olivenhain Municipal Water District will re-open its recycled water fill station for the warm summer season, offering free recycled water to its residential customers. The fill station, at Campania Avenue and Camino San Thomas in 4S Ranch, will open Fridays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
OMWD operates the facility to help customers irrigate during San Diego’s warm season, minimizing potable water demands and assisting customers with lowering their higher summer bills. After completing a brief user application, customers may fill up to 300 gallons per visit, with no limit on the number of visits. To further help customers take advantage of this resource, OMWD will now allow landscape contractors or other customer designees to fill up on a customer’s behalf.
“Up to 80 percent of a typical customer’s summer water bill can go to outdoor irrigation,” said OMWD Board Secretary Bob Kephart. “Customers who use free recycled water can not only lower their water bills, but also do their part to reduce demand on our potable water supply.”
The recycled water fill station was established by OMWD in July 2015 during the statewide drought emergency in order to allow customers to continue to irrigate while water use restrictions were in place. The fill station was closed January 2019 due to the exceptionally wet winter. With warm summer days increasing water demands, the fill station will again provide recycled water at no cost to OMWD customers.
Recycled water is highly treated and is suitable for non-potable applications, such as landscape irrigation. More information can be found at olivenhain.com/fillstation.