ESCONDIDO — The Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District has purchased an industrial building that will become its new headquarters.
The water district purchased the 30,000-square-foot facility near the intersection of Auto Park Way and Andreasen Drive for $10.3 million, according to a news release.
Rincon provides potable and recycled water to an estimated 34,100 people through more than 8,400 connections. The district’s distribution system consists of nine reservoirs with a storage capacity of 22.5 million gallons and 117 miles of pipelines distributing up to 10 million gallons of potable water per day.
Rincon plans to relocate from its current location at 1920 N. Iris Lane to the new headquarters in early 2027, after planned construction — estimated to cost $5 million — is completed. Once the move is complete, the water agency plans to sell the current office property.
General Manager Jeff Umbrasas told The Coast News the move would better meet staff needs moving forward.
“We’ve outgrown our current facility,” Umbrasas said. “A larger office building will make us more efficient operationally.”
Office spaces in the new headquarters will be expanded for several key departments. The building will also include warehouse space and indoor work areas for vehicles, equipment and materials that are currently stored outside.
The new headquarters will also feature an improved public lobby with dedicated customer bathrooms, customer service counters and security windows, according to the release.
The facility will have a larger boardroom for board meetings, community training sessions and workshops.
Umbrasas said that after considering several options, adapting an existing facility to Rincon’s needs was the most fiscally prudent.
Renovating the current headquarters — work that would include a new roof as well as heating and cooling systems — was expected to cost more than $10 million and would not provide additional room for expansion.
A full teardown of the current facility, followed by the construction of a brand-new space, was estimated to cost around $30 million.
Umbrasas said that with building materials and other construction costs on the rise, “it just made sense to buy an existing building.”
