The District's award-winning Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility is capable of recycling up to 74% of the wastewater generated in the District’s service area. The plant operators at Meadowlark are responsible to efficiently treat the wastewater through physical and biological processes to remove pollutants so that the recycled water meets all federal and state water quality standards. You can help our operators protect the environment by learning what not to flush down the drain. Some of the biggest “enemies” of the wastewater treatment process are dental floss and personal care or disinfectant wipes, which form a mass and collect debris. These masses jam or shut down the pumps, which can increase maintenance and operational costs and possibly cause a sewer spill, which can harm our lakes, creeks and beaches.  

The District has contracts with the City of Carlsbad and Olivenhain Municipal Water District to provide recycled water as needed, as much as five million gallons per day, which is used for irrigation. Previous users of our recycled water include Legoland, the Carlsbad Flower Fields, and the Aviara Golf Course, to name a few.

Watch the video below to learn more about Meadowlark or request a group tour.

 

Learn how the Meadowlark facility plans for the annual Super Bowl halftime flush....

While waiting to live its second life greening up golf courses or roadside roses, the recycled water is stored at the District's Mahr Reservoir, which can hold up to 54 million gallons of reclaimed (recycled) water. The reservoir was completed in 1981 and was originally called La Costa Storage No. 1 Dam and Reservoir. It was renamed after the District’s original founder, 35-year board member Stanley A. Mahr.  The Reservoir has won several awards, including awards for its innovative use of sound instead of chemicals, to control the algae and protect the environment. Learn more about this innovative process...

Learn more about the Mahr Reservoir   Wastewater that is not recycled at the Meadowlark Facility is treated at the Encina Wastewater Authority, which is partially owned by Vallecitos. Solids removed from the wastewater treatment process at Meadowlark are piped to Encina, where they are recycled into an environmentally friendly biofuel or fertilizer marketed as PureGreen Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer.  The recycled wastewater solids are very effective as a fertilizer and an excellent example of a sustainable and renewable resource. As a result, the District has fertilized its Sustainable Demonstration Garden with the PureGreen Fertilizer.