POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) – The City of Poway will receive funding for a major upgrade to its clean water storage infrastructure, it was announced Monday.
Rep. Scott Peters and Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, as well as the engineer for the project, were on hand to announce $1 million in federal infrastructure funding for the project.
“Folks expect to turn on their faucets at home and get clean water. This will help us to be able to provide that now and for generations to come,” Vaus said.
The plan will be to eventually replace the clearwell reservoir, which has served as the city's primary water source since 1964.
In 2019, contamination was suspected in the well, leading to a scramble to provide residents clean bottled water and forcing some residents to boil their water for several days.
The construction of a bypass system is now underway, allowing the city to take it offline and eventually build two tanks in its place to replace the system altogether.
The cost of the project is estimated to be $7.3 million, but the $1 million in funding will help offset a portion of the price.
A city softball field is some of the only flatland available to build the temporary water tank that is part of the bypass system.
