Lake Mission Viejo Project will Maintain Lake Level, Amenities

MISSION VIEJO, CA — The Santa Margarita Water District is conserving water in Mission Veijo while also preserving the lake of Lake Mission Viejo. They have implemented the 2015 plan to replenish the man-made lake using advanced purified water in a collaboration between Lake Mission Viejo Association and the Santa Margarita Water District.

Proclaimed safe for swimmers and fish, this method of transforming the lake with highly treated waste water instead of drinking water will begin in mid-November.

Lake Mission Viejo, which is surrounded by homes and condominiums, is used for swimming, fishing and boat rentals by their association members. Due to the constant evaporation, the association, city and Santa Margarita Water District sought another way to keep the lake full and safe for all who live and play there.

The project, which took nine months to complete, "will maintain the lake level and amenities for what is a strong centerpiece," Fran Spivey-Weber, Vice Chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board said at the presentation on Monday.

The lake loses roughly 500,000 gallons of water a day to evaporation and seepage, about what three or four families would use in a calendar year, according to the water district. The project's newly installed purification system will save over 114 million gallons of drinking water each year.

Treatment methods are similar to the Orange County Water District's Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Fountain Valley. Processes of reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light, for underground drinking water for both north and central Orange County.

The city of Mission Viejo loaned the Santa Margarita Water District $3 million for the project, which they will pay back over 20 years, according to official statements.

The dedication ceremony for the new Advanced Purified Water Facility was punctuated by officials from the city, and the state and local water boards releasing live fish into the lake.

"This can be an example to other parts of Southern California and statewide, particularly areas with water shortages and lots of people," Spivy-Weber said. "There are ways to have (water) treated safely."

Mission Viejo also donated a $1 million grant to aid the water district's new facility construction that will purify recycled water at the pumping station across from the lake.

"This is vital for the whole region," Mission Viejo Mayor Frany Ury said. "It boiled down to two things. Sustainability and teamwork."