After two years of work, the 10-mile pipeline that will carry fresh water from the Carlsbad Desalination Plant to a regional water distribution plant in San Marcos is complete. Crews installed the last 54-inch in diameter pipe — No. 2177 — into Macario Canyon in Carlsbad this morning, Poseidon Water and the San Diego County Water Authority announced in a press release. The project is on budget and on schedule, pending approvals for state regulatory agencies, to start delivering desalinated water to the area this fall. The plant will produce enough water to serve about 112,000 families and meet 7 to 10 percent of the region’s water demand.

 “This final piece of pipe is a significant milestone for the Carlsbad Desalination Project, and a sign that the entire construction project is entering its final phase,” said Peter MacLaggan, vice president of Poseidon Water, the project’s private developer. “We are grateful for the cooperation and support of the businesses, residents, property owners and city staff along the route in Carlsbad, Vista and San Marcos.”

With the pipeline installed, in the coming weeks construction crews will focus on restoring streets between Lionshead Avenue in Vista and the desalination plant in Carlsbad while they move closer to plant completion.

According to the release, the Carlsbad Desalination Project will include the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient seawater desalination plant in the nation. It will produce an average of 50 million gallons of high-quality water per day and account for about one-third of all the water generated in San Diego County, helping reduce reliance on imported water at a time when hot and dry conditions are depleting water supplies statewide. During the three-year construction process, the project is supporting an estimated 2,500 jobs and infusing $350 million into the local economy. For more information about the Carlsbad Desalination Project, visit the project website at www.carlsbaddesal.com.