San Diego - The City of San Diego Water Department today announced that the former Alvarado Water Pump Plant has been replaced with the new Waring Road Water Pump Station and is operating at a much higher capacity. Located on the northeast corner of Waring Road, just off of Interstate 8, the new facility is now pumping water from the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant to Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa, and Clairemont Mesa. The former facility was completely demolished.

Adorned with a mission tile roof, white stucco sand and cobblestone exterior walls, the pumping facility is aesthetically pleasing to the surrounding community. The design of the new facility was finalized with input from the Allied Gardens Community Planning Group. The former facility was constructed out of wood and was operating at a capacity of 3,500 gallons per minute (gpm). Now, water is pumped through the new facility at a rate of 5,100 gpm.

In addition to its increased performance, the new pumping station is more efficient as remote Water Department staff located at the Alvarado Treatment Plant handle all of the operational controls. "We’re incorporating the latest technology into all of our Capital Improvements Program (CIP) projects," said Water Department Director Larry Gardner.

"Our radio-based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) telemetry system controls our remote operations and it is proving to be a very resourceful tool,” Gardner concluded.

Five new 200 horsepower pumps and motors were installed as part of the pump station upgrade. Customers in Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa and Clairemont Mesa are assured greater water-service reliability as a result of the project. Improvements to the pump station also guarantee improved backup water-service to the Normal Heights community. The $4.5 million project was completed on schedule by locally based TC Construction Company, with design expertise from Hirsch & Company.

The Waring Road Pump Station Project is part of the City of San Diego Water Department’s citywide Capital Improvements Program. Water infrastructure improvements (replacements, upgrades and expansions) are underway throughout the City’s water system, including pipelines, water pump stations, reservoirs and treatment plants. These improvements will help ensure a safe and reliable water supply, protecting the region’s job base, environment, and overall quality of life for future generations.

Additional information about other important infrastructure projects can also be found online at www.sandiego.gov/water click on “Departments” and then “Water.” Or, contact the Capital Improvements Public Information Line at 619-533-4679 for additional details.