The Pure Water Project: A Major Investment in Hemet Water's Future

One of the most important water projects underway in our region right now is the Pure Water Project, a 163 million dollar investment designed specifically to strengthen the groundwater basin in Hemet and San Jacinto.

This is not a distant or abstract initiative. It is a local project that will treat approximately 2 million gallons of water per day and return it directly to our groundwater basin, improving reliability, water quality, and long-term drought protection.

It is also the largest grant-funded project in our agency’s history, with approximately $80 to $90 million secured through state and federal funding. That level of outside investment significantly strengthens our ability to move forward responsibly.

What the Pure Water Project Does

At its core, the Pure Water Project takes highly treated recycled water and purifies it even further using advanced technology. That purified water is then safely reintroduced into our local groundwater basin in San Jacinto.

Here is how the purification process works:

Step 1: Microfiltration

Recycled water is pumped through hollow-fiber membranes with microscopic openings that remove solids, bacteria, and other particles.

Step 2: Reverse Osmosis

High-pressure pumps force water through a semi-permeable membrane that removes dissolved salts and other minerals.

Step 3: Replenishment Basins

The purified water is blended and pumped into replenishment ponds in San Jacinto, where it begins to percolate into the groundwater basin.

Step 4: Natural Filtration

As the water slowly moves through soil, it undergoes additional natural physical and biological purification.

Step 5: Final Treatment

After at least six months underground, the water is pumped back out through groundwater wells, undergoes one final cleaning step, and is then delivered to homes and businesses.

EMWD continuously tests the water to ensure it meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards before it reaches customers.

Why This Project Matters Locally

It Keeps Water in Our Community

Groundwater supplies roughly 20 percent of EMWD’s drinking water, and most of that groundwater comes from wells right here in the Hemet and San Jacinto area.

When we purify and recharge water locally, we are investing in our own basin. We are not increasing dependence on imported supplies from Northern California or the Colorado River. Instead, we are strengthening the resource that belongs to this community.

The more water we can safely treat and return to our basin, the more control we maintain over our water future. Local control brings long-term stability.

It Moves Us from Stabilization to Restoration

For decades, groundwater levels in our basin declined because more water was being pumped out than naturally replenished. In 2013, the creation of a Watermaster and managed pumping under a consent decree stopped that decline.

That was an important turning point.

But stabilizing the basin was only the first step. The next step is rebuilding.

My long-term goal has been to restore groundwater levels to approximately where they were in 1990. That means increasing storage by about 200,000 acre-feet over time.

Projects like the Pure Water Project help make that possible. By adding a reliable source of purified water back into the basin year after year, we strengthen groundwater levels and improve the flexibility of our entire water system.

It Improves Long-Term Water Quality

Groundwater conditions can change gradually over time. Mineral content, including salinity, can increase if left unmanaged.

Advanced purification removes dissolved salts and other constituents before water is returned to the basin. That helps improve groundwater quality and reduces long-term treatment pressures.

We are not simply adding more water to the basin. We are adding high-quality water that supports long-term sustainability.

It Strengthens Our Drought Resilience

Imported water depends on snowpack, river flows, and statewide conditions. Recycled water is produced locally, year-round.

EMWD treats tens of millions of gallons of wastewater daily at its regional facilities. By purifying a portion of that supply and storing it underground, we create a more drought-resistant component of our water portfolio.

That matters in Southern California, where long-term climate projections point toward drier conditions in the decades ahead.

This project is about preparing responsibly for that reality.

A Long-Term Commitment

There is no new water on Earth. We are working with the same water cycle that has always existed. That means our responsibility is not to find new water, but to manage the water we have wisely and responsibly.

The Pure Water Project is part of that responsibility. It is a steady, disciplined investment in Hemet and San Jacinto’s future. It strengthens our groundwater basin, improves long-term water quality, and prepares our community for the drought cycles we know will continue.

Projects like this are not flashy, and they do not produce overnight results. They are long-term commitments. They are designed to protect our families, our businesses, and future generations.

That is the kind of planning I believe in. Planning that looks ahead 20, 30, even 50 years. Planning that protects our community not just for today, but for the decades to come.

References

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD). “Groundwater Reliability Plus.” EMWD. https://www.emwd.org/GWRPlus

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD). Groundwater Reliability Plus Informational Booklet. https://content.emwd.org/sites/default/files/migrate-documents/emwd_12_page_booklet_pdf.pdf

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD). “Purified Water Replenishment – A Future Local Drinking Water Supply.” EMWD. https://content.emwd.org/sites/default/files/migrate-documents/purified_water_replenishment_fact_sheet_final.pdf

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD). “Recycled Water.” EMWD. https://www.emwd.org/recycled-water