Quench: The Cleaner, Greener, More Affordable Water Cooler for San Diego

San Diego Water Quality: Yesterday

When California became the 31^st state in 1850, the city of San Diego had 650 residents who drew their water from the San Diego River and a few private wells. By 1873, the population had burgeoned to 2,000 residents and the first public well was drilled. Water from this well was distributed by horse and carriage to residents at 25 cents per bucket, but many residents complained that the water quality was poor. City engineers then drilled 12 wells in the bed of the San Diego River. The Old Town Reservoir was built in 1889 to store water from these wells, but the wells were not keeping up with the demand of San Diego’s growing population. City planners sought additional water from Boulder Creek and built a 35.6 mile wooden flume to draw water from it to the La Mesa Reservoir. They also drilled supplemental wells in the Otay Creek to provide water to residents of Coronado Island. Between 1887 and 1897, San Diego built six reservoirs in all to store the city’s water as well as replace the wooden flume with cast iron pipes.

The system of reservoirs and dams provided enough water for the growing city until the military population in San Diego exploded during World War II. City officials needed to look further for a solution. In 1944, city officials started construction on the San Diego Aqueduct to draw water from the Colorado River and in 1947 city officials built the San Vicente Reservoir to store the Colorado River water.

San Diego Water Quality: Today

In the early 2000s, San Diego city officials began a 12-year program to replace the 190+ miles of old cast iron pipes to improve the water quality. The South Bay Water Reclamation plant was constructed to treat former wastewater, removing solids and impurities, before releasing the water into the Pacific Ocean or moving it to more treatment for reclaimed water applications. However, many residents still complain that their water has an earthy, musty taste and smell, often referred to as “tap water tang.” This “tang” is from the minerals, sediment, or microbial contaminants that San Diegans’ drinking water may pick up as it travels through miles of old infrastructure.

Quench Water Coolers – A Better Drinking Water System for San Diego

No need to worry about what your office’s drinking water might have picked up on its journey to your glass. Quench offers a full complement of filtration and purification technologies to remove sediment, reduce chemical contaminants, including lead, and get rid of off-tastes and odors. That’s how we can guarantee that Quench office water coolers produce crisp, clean, great-tasting water – and at a fraction of the price of bottled water delivery services.