Southern California Ocean Outfall Will Solve Longstanding Beach Pollution Problems

Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group has completed the $135 million ocean outfall near San Diego and the U.S.-Mexican border that will carry treated wastewater 3.5 miles offshore for disposal 95 feet below the water surface.

A dedication ceremony for the project was held at the International Wastewater Treatment Plant not far from the city. The event was described as the beginning to the end of beach closures that have affected San Diego's South Bay coastline for decades.

Greg McBain, Parsons' principal-in-charge of the design effort said that the tunnel concept produced an estimated $40 million savings over a conventional sea-floor pipeline and has advanced the state of the art in design and construction of marine outfall tunneling.

Construction involved driving a sub-sea, 13-ft-diameter tunnel through a geological formation consisting of boulders, cobbles, gravel, sand, silt and clay under high external water pressure for an unprecedented distance of 19,000 ft, according to McBain

Dignitaries from the Metropolitan Wastewater Department, the city of San Diego, the International Boundary Commission, and the federal government were on hand to recognize the successful efforts.

Parsons is one of the world's largest full-service engineering, procurement and construction organizations. Involved in many markets worldwide, such as infrastructure, transportation, and energy and chemicals, the firm provides services to federal, regional and local government agencies as well as private industry.

For project information contact Greg McBain of Parsons, San Diego, at 619-453-9560, or Pat Gallemore of Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group at 626-440-6176.