Groundbreaking held for new water treatment plant in Watsonville

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the College Lake Water Supply Project. Local elected officials and the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agencies Board of Directors attended the ceremony.

Plans include a new water treatment plant, a water intake facility and a pipeline.

The project aims to create a more sustainable source of water for the Watsonville region. Currently, groundwater accounts for more than 90% of water use in the Pajaro Valley region.

The largest part of the project is a six-mile-long pipe that will transport water to the new facility. It will cross three highways, three streets and one creek. The pipe will go from College Lake near Highway 152 to the coastal distribution system on the west side of Highway 1.

From there, the treated water will go to over 5,500 acres of farmland.

The project costs $68 million and is expected to take 18 months to complete.