Construction on the city’s Clearwell Replacement project is roughly 50% complete. The project is second of three phases in a capital improvement project (CIP) to improve reliability, redundancy and resiliency of Poway’s water system.
This phase has been in construction for 14 months and will replace the 1964 covered clearwell (treated water storage) with two concrete tanks. Concrete pours on the north tank started in early March and crews are currently building the tank’s walls and columns. After the north tank is complete, the same process will begin on the south tank.
At the April 15 Poway City Council meeting, Principal Civil Engineer Robert Weber provided a water infrastructure project update and said new Clearwell tanks are expected to be online in late spring 2026. Once they are operational, the temporary storage tanks at Lake Poway will be removed and the ballfield restored.
Weber also provided an overview of the third phase of the CIP, which focuses on providing the city with a redundant source of treated water. This phase will focus on maximizing use of a current pipeline connection between the Poway and Ramona water systems. It will provide operational flexibility, enhance Poway’s ability to sell water to Ramona, and allow for future water treatment plant rehabilitation.
“Without this project we can’t take the existing plant offline for maintenance,” Weber said.
The project is expected to have the design and environmental compliance finalized by the end of this year. The city is also working on plans for two emergency connections with the City of San Diego’s water system.