A first-of-its-kind facility strictly for agriculture use in the State of California
Escondido, Calif. — With the recently completed AgX MFRO, a membrane filtration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO) water reuse treatment plant, the City of Escondido has achieved an important milestone in its goal of creating a high-quality alternative to potable water for local agriculture growers. With this remarkable facility beginning operations, the City and its partners,
including the Filanc Brown and Caldwell (FBC) Joint Venture, will hold a dedication ceremony on Wednesday, August 28,
2024, from 2 – 3 p.m.
In collaboration with the City, through the progressive design-build delivery method, F+BC completed construction for this new
$65M two-million-gallon-per-day facility in November 2023. The AgX MFRO facility takes water redirected from an ocean outfall, which was reaching capacity and would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars to upsize. Instead, water is now redirected to the MFRO facility and treated for beneficial reuse by producing water with levels of salinity ideal for agriculture e.g., avocado growers. This results in lower water rates for farmers and a separate revenue stream for the City, and offsets the potable water the farmers previously used, making the supply available for other users and increasing local water resiliency.
This project is a rare win-win water solution for augmenting supply while alleviating demand. In an era of water scarcity, it provides a sustainable, local supply and a cost-effective alternative to potable water.
“This is an important milestone for Escondido’s recycled water system,” said Angela Morrow, City of Escondido Director of Utilities. “The MFRO facility will provide a reliable, affordable, and high-quality water supply to our agricultural community for generations to come while beneficially reusing wastewater and reducing our reliance on imported water.”
Project Funding
Funding for this project was provided in full or in part through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board. California’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund is capitalized through a variety of funding sources, including grants from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and state bond proceeds. The content of this document does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the foregoing, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. In addition, funding for this project has also been provided in part through agreements with the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and State of California, Department of Water Resources.
About the City of Escondido
Incorporated in 1888, Escondido is a vibrant community that more than 150,000 residents call home. Escondido prides itself on its numerous prosperous businesses and a wide range of cultural, educational, healthcare, tourism, and recreation amenities, making Escondido the City of Choice.
Media contact
Mike Thorne | 760.839.4009 | mike.thorne@escondido.gov
About Filanc
Headquartered in Escondido, California, Filanc is an award-winning, general engineering and design-build contractor that solely constructs, renovates, and expands water and wastewater treatment, biosolids management, and waste-to-energy facilities throughout the Western United States. Since our founding in 1952, we have completed hundreds of facilities for the public, private and federal sectors, focusing mainly on collaborative delivery such as design-build, construction manager at-risk, and
job order contracting. Our projects range from emergency repair work to $200+ million-dollar facility construction and
expansion. As a general contractor, Filanc typically self-performs over 70 percent of work with our own forces in the categories of pipefitting, mechanical, structural, concrete, and earthwork. Now employing over 275 workers, Filanc has become a subsidiary to parent company Alberici, based in St. Louis and currently ranked by ENR as the #36 largest North American contractor.
Media contact
Norbert Schulz | 760.708.8541 | nschulz@filanc.com
About Brown and Caldwell
Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, Brown and Caldwell is a full-service environmental engineering and construction services firm with 50 offices and over 2,100 professionals across North America and the Pacific. For more than 75 years, our creative solutions have helped municipalities, private industry, and government agencies successfully overcome their most challenging water and environmental obstacles. As an employee-owned company, Brown and Caldwell is passionate about exceeding our clients’ expectations and making a difference for our employees, our communities, and our environment. For more information, visit www.brownandcaldwell.com.
Media contact
Brown and Caldwell | 303.968.2055 | info@brwncald.com
