San Diego Water System
Historical Chronology

1806
to
1816
  • Construction of Padre Dam and flume from Mission Gorge to
    Mission San Diego.

[Padre Dam ]

Mission Dam at the upper in of Mission Gorge on the San Diego River was the first irrigation system contructed by Europeans in California. (From SDCWA files)

1850
  • California became a state and the City of San Diego was incorporated
    as an American city.
1852
  • City declared insolvent. Management oversight by the state through a three member Board of Trustees instituted.

1872
  • Board of Trustees enlarged to five members and responsibilities expanded.
1873
  • San Diego Water Company formed to provide an organized water supply to serve a population of approximately 2,000. Water was $.25 per one gallon bucket. An army private soldier made $13.00 per month.

1875
  • The San Diego Water Company began supplying water via a piped distribution system to the built up portions of the City..

1876
  • State oversight of municipal government ends.
1885
  • Sewer service began along the lower portion of 5th and 6th Avenues with the raw effluent discharged directly into San Diego Bay.
1887
  • Old Town Reservoir was built to store water from twelve wells located in the San Diego River bed adjacent to the old Presidio.
  • City Charter adopted establishing limited home-rule.
1889
  • The San Diego Flume Company completed a 35.6 mile wooden flume to carry water from Boulder Creek to La Mesa Reservoir (the duck pond at Grossmont Summit).
  • A new City Charter adopted establishing a strong-mayor and council form of government. The Common Council is composed of two houses. The Board of Delegates has nine members elected at-large. The Board of Aldermen is consists of eighteen members with two members elected from each ward. This charter was amended many times until it was replaced in 1931.
1897
  • Lower Otay Dam was completed by what became the Southern California Mountain Water Company.
  • Construction of Morena Dam begun. Work was soon suspended.
1901
  • Following a vote of the people in the City of San Diego entered into the municipal water supply business by purchasing the facilities of the San Diego Water Co. ($500,000) and distribution system of the Southern California Mountain Water Co. ($100,000) located within the City.
  • Chollas Dam completed by the Southern California Mountain Water Co.

1905
  • City Charter amended changing the Common Council to nine members elected by ward.
1906
  • The Lower Otay water supply was connected to the City's distribution system by the Bonita Pipeline to a filtration plant located at Chollas Heights Reservoir.

1909
  • Dulzura Conduit completed linking the Barrett Damsite and the Pine Valley Creek/Cottonwood Creek watersheds to the Otay system.
  • The City Charter was amended with a five member Board of Commissioners elected at-large. Each Commisioner is responsible for running a city department.
1912
  • The City purchased the Otay River-Cottonwood Creek system from the Southern California Mountain Water Company. The City retained the responsibility to supply water to Coronado and South Bay communities.
  • Morena Dam completed.
  • The City of East San Diego incorporated.
1914
  • The City purchased Morena Dam.

1915
  • The City Charter was amended eliminating the Board of Commissioners and replacing them with a weaker mayor and council form. The council appointed a Manager of Operations to oversee the day to day running of most city departments.

[ Sweetwater Dam after the 1916 deluge ]

Sweetwater Dam after the 1916 deluge. Abutment was erroded and washed out.
(Photo courtesy of the City of Imperial Beach)

1916
  • A series of very heavy rain storms, in conjunction with the alleged rainmaking activities of Charles Hatfield, hit the county. The San Diego River flooded Mission Valley from cliff base to cliff base cutting all highways to the north.
  • Lower Otay Dam, built with an inadequate spillway, was overtopped and burst flooding the Otay Valley. The flood killed 14 people and caused substantial property damage.

[ Otay Dam after the Burst ]
Otay Dam after the flood. The dam was overtopped and destroyed January 27, 1916
(Photo from the collection of the San Diego Historical Society)

1918
  • Lower Otay Dam, now renamed Savage Dam, reconstruction completed.
  • Lake Hodges Dam and San Dieguito Dam completed by the Santa Fe Land & Improvement Co. Both were later purchased by the City.
1922
  • Barrett Dam completed by City forces. The Dulzura Conduit headworks linked to connect Morena Reservoir and the Cottonwood Creek/Pine Creek watersheds with the City's water supply system at Lower Otay.

[ Dulzura Conduit ]
Dulzura Conduit Connecting Hauser and Pine Valley Creek Watersheds with the Otay Watershed.
(Photo from the San Diego Historical Society)

1923
  • City of East San Diego consolidated into the City of San Diego. Lack of water for growth and insolvency were two of the reasons prompting the annexation.

1925
  • The City leased the entire San Dieguito Water Co. system. This constituted the primary water source for La Jolla.
1928
  • Construction of what is now Sutherland Dam was halted after only
    one year of construction.
  • University Heights Water Treatment Plant enlarged.
  • The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) was
    formed to bring Colorado River Water to Southern California. San Diego was not a member.
1930
  • The U.S. Supreme Court determined that the City of San Diego has prior and paramount rights to the water of the San Diego River.
1931
  • Current City Charter adopted formalizing the Council-Manager form of government.
1935
  • With water rights secured, the City completed construction of El Capitan Dam and the El Monte Pipeline connecting it to the City's water supply system. University Heights Filtration Plant enlarged.
1936
  • The City decommissions water well fields operated in Mission Valley near El Capitan Reservoir. The wells continued to be used off and on until the early 1960s when they were removed.

1939
  • The City exercised its option to purchase the San Dieguito Water Co. system.
1943
  • San Vicente Dam and pipeline were dedicated following two years of
    construction. This provided another source of water for San Diego's
    booming wartime population.
  • The U.S. Navy completed the City's first sewage treatment plant to reduce the health risks to sailors on ships in San Diego Bay.
1944
  • The San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) was formed, with the
    City joining, and became a member agency of MWD. CWA's first
    task was to complete a pipeline connecting the county with MWD's
    water supply system.
1947
  • The first MWD water from the Colorado River flows into San Vicente
    Reservoir. This ended San Diego's total dependence on local sources
    for water.
1950
  • The City of San Diego takes over operation of Murray Reservoir and
    commissions the Alvarado Filtration Plant.
  • The water treatment plant at University Heights decommissioned.
1954
  • Sutherland Dam, construction dormant since 1928, completed and connected by pipeline and natural streambeds to San Vicente Reservoir.
1956
  • South San Diego, Nestor, San Ysidro, and part of Otay Mesa annexed
    to the City.
  • Service charges for sewer service instituted for the first time.
1958
  • The wastewater (sewage) function transferred to the newly renamed Water
    Utilities Department.

1960
  • The city buys Lake Murray from Helix Irrigation (now Water) District.
1960
to
1963
  • Miramar Dam completed and Miramar Filtration Plant put into
    commission.
1962
  • What is now Tierrasanta annexed.
1963
  • The Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Metropolitan Sewerage System, now Metropolitan Wastewater System, were put into service ending regular direct discharge of raw wastewater into San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
  • What is now Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos and the San Pasqual Valley annexed to the City.

1995
  • Portions of the Dulzura Conduit rebuilt. Prolonged deferral of maintenance had caused the conduit to be breached three years before thus breaking off the supply of water from Lakes Barrett and Morena.

1996
&
1997
  • The wastewater collection and treatment functions are separated
    from the Water Utilities Department forming the Metropolitan
    Wastewater Department. The Water Utilities Department becomes
    the Water Department.

1997
  • City completes a Strategic Plan for Water Supply which requires significant expansion and rennovation of its treatment and distribution facilities to meet consumer demands.
  • City Council approves the first operating rate increase since 1987.
  • Water is now approximately five gallons for one cent.

Updated April 30, 1998 - Comments to sdys@geocities.com
Prepared by Phil Abbey & Ian Abbey