Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Water district outlines Oso Creek reclamation rebuild; construction to start mid‑August
Summary
Santa Margarita Water District General Manager Rob Grantham told the Mission Viejo City Council the Oso Creek Water Reclamation Plant will enter construction mid‑August, take roughly 2.5 years and roughly double capacity while reducing the plant footprint; the district highlighted plans for future indirect potable reuse.
Rob Grantham, general manager of the Santa Margarita Water District, told the Mission Viejo City Council on April 8 that the district is moving ahead with a redesigned Oso Creek Water Reclamation Plant and expects construction to begin in mid‑August.
“Our plan is to get in under construction mid August, and then it'll be about 2.5 year process, and so it should be done by the end of 2028,” Grantham said. He told council the rebuilt plant will roughly double capacity while reducing its footprint by about 20 percent, use membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology to improve water quality, and create space for future city‑district collaboration on administrative facilities.
Grantham framed the project as part of a long‑term regional resilience strategy. He said the district serves more than 200,000 residents in south Orange County and is highly dependent on imported supplies, making local reuse a priority. He also noted a prior city contribution to the project: “you invested 1000000 dollars in this project,” Grantham said, describing the investment as part of a “collaborative approach.”
Councilmembers asked procedural questions and thanked the district for the presentation. Grantham outlined a timeline in which district engineering and procurement precede a mid‑August start, followed by roughly 2.5 years of construction, with administrative buildings anticipated in 2027–28. He said the district has engaged regional partners and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in planning and is pursuing future stages for indirect potable reuse.
The presentation emphasized the combination of environmental goals and public‑health priorities: reuse to stretch scarce imported water while protecting public safety. Staff said some project costs will be covered by restricted transportation and gas taxes for other capital programs, while park and facility projects remain constrained by general‑fund limits. Council did not take a formal action on the item but requested continued updates as the project advances.
