Soledad advances recycled-water pilot at Veterans Park and plans 5.5-mile citywide distribution

The Soledad City Council on March 19 approved consent calendar items that staff said will put recycled (reclaimed) water into use at Veterans Park and advance a citywide distribution system for parks and schools.

Don, a city public works staff member, told the council the city's water reclamation facility was built in 2010 and that a reclaimed-water pipeline was constructed in 2019. He said Veterans Park will be the pilot site for recycled irrigation water and that construction of a citywide recycled-water distribution system will follow; staff said the planned system would include about 5.5 miles of new pipe to serve parks and several school district facilities.

Don said the project has been supported by state grant funding; during the meeting staff referred to a state grant amount spoken as “12 or $16,600,000,” an amount that staff later clarified in documents is stated as a state grant to construct the system. Council members said the Veterans Park pilot and the larger distribution work mark the city’s first park use of recycled water and thanked staff for securing grant funds to advance the work.

Council approved the consent calendar items by voice vote; no members recorded opposition or abstention.

Staff said the Veterans Park pilot is complete and that citywide distribution construction is scheduled to start this spring, with a staggered rollout to additional parks and school sites over the following year. The city will return with construction and scheduling details and with any required public‑notification steps before irrigation changes are implemented.