Encina Wastewater Authority

What Encina Wastewater Authority does

Encina Wastewater Authority (EWA) is a public Joint Powers Authority (JPA) founded in 1961 by the communities of Carlsbad and Vista, later expanding to six co-owner member agencies: City of Carlsbad, City of Vista, City of Encinitas, Vallecitos Water District, Buena Sanitation District, and Leucadia Wastewater District. EWA provides wastewater treatment and resource recovery services to over 379,000 residents and businesses across a 125-square-mile service area in North San Diego County, operating the Encina Water Pollution Control Facility (EWPCF) with 43.3 MGD treatment capacity under NPDES Permit R9-2018-0059.

The technical core is a multi-stage treatment system — primary, secondary, and tertiary processes — augmented by anaerobic digestion with biogas capture, cogeneration via four Caterpillar 750kW engine generators (supplying over 80% of on-site electricity), Andritz DDS 40 heat drying for Class A biosolids production (PureGreen fertilizer, ~6,000 tons/year), and water recycling producing over 5 MGD of reclaimed water. An Alternative Fuel Receiving Facility processes restaurant grease trap and brewery waste to boost biogas production 29%. The facility is supported by a 1.5-mile ocean outfall at 150 feet depth, an ELAP-certified regional laboratory, and an ELAP-accredited Source Control Program governing industrial discharge permitting.

EWA is funded through a managed-services / cost-sharing model where member agencies share operational and management costs under the Joint Powers Agreement. Revenue is essentially equivalent to the agency's $46M annual budget and is supplemented by minor third-party income from grease trap waste tipping fees and biosolids pellet sales (CEMEX cement kilns, nurseries, golf courses). EWA is governed by a Board of Directors with representatives from each member agency and led by General Manager Scott McClelland (since 2021) over a 72-person staff. The agency has maintained over 3,000 consecutive days of NPDES permit compliance and has received 40+ awards in the past decade, including EPA Green Power Partner status since 2011 and five CWEA San Diego Plant of the Year recognitions.

Name

Encina Wastewater Authority

Legal name

Encina Wastewater Authority

Website

https://encinajpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Encina Wastewater Authority is a Joint Powers Authority providing wastewater treatment and resource recovery to 379,000 residents across a 125-square-mile area of North San Diego County, operating a 43.3 MGD facility serving six public member agencies through a cost-sharing governance model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Wastewater Treatment

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced/Nutrient Removal (BNR/ENR: N, P) (EUANADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) & Biogas/RNG Production (Organics Feedstocks) (BPALAEAC), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Industrial Wastewater Reuse (Cooling/Process/Boiler Feed) (EUANADAM)

Keywords

• Municipal wastewater treatment
• Water reclamation services
• Biosolids management
• Renewable energy generation
• Industrial pretreatment compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Municipal Utility Services: EWA is a Joint Powers Authority providing wastewater treatment services to six member public agencies. Member agencies share in the operational and management costs through cooperative funding arrangements. Revenue comes from service fees charged to member agencies based on usage and cost-sharing agreements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Encina Wastewater Authority (EWA) is a Joint Powers Authority public agency that operates the Encina Water Pollution Control Facility (EWPCF), a 43.3 MGD wastewater treatment plant serving six member public agencies and 379,000 residents across a 125-square-mile area of North San Diego County. The agency delivers wastewater treatment, tertiary water recycling (over 5 MGD), Class A biosolids production via heat drying (marketed as PureGreen fertilizer), on-site cogeneration electricity and heat recovery from digester biogas, and a Source Control Program regulating industrial discharges. Revenue is generated through service fees and cost-sharing arrangements with member agencies under a Joint Powers Agreement.

Product overview

Encina Wastewater Authority operates a comprehensive wastewater treatment and resource recovery system consisting of the Encina Water Pollution Control Facility (EWPCF) as the core treatment plant, supported by multiple pumping stations and reclamation facilities. The EWPCF treats up to 43.3 MGD using secondary and tertiary processes, with cogeneration facilities generating over 80% of on-site electricity. The system includes water recycling producing over 5 MGD of reclaimed water, biosolids management turning waste into PureGreen fertilizer via heat drying, and an Alternative Fuel Receiving Facility that converts grease trap waste into biogas. The Source Control Program ensures regulatory compliance for industrial discharges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Encina Water Pollution Control Facility (EWPCF) The primary wastewater treatment facility operated by EWA, treating up to 43.3 million gallons per day (MGD). Features primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes; anaerobic digestion for biogas production; cogeneration for electricity generation; and heat-drying for biosolids. Serves EWA's six member public agencies in North San Diego County.
• Water Recycling / Reclaimed Water Production Tertiary treatment system producing over 5 million gallons per day of recycled water for irrigation, equipment washdown, cogeneration engine cooling, and odor reduction. Secondary treated effluent undergoes filtration (sand filtration or ultrafiltration) and chlorination. Distributed to member agencies, including the Carlsbad Municipal Water District.
• Biosolids Management (PureGreen Fertilizer) Heat drying technology producing Class A biosolids pellets (>90% solids) from wastewater solids using Alfa Laval centrifuges and an Andritz DDS 40 rotating drum dryer. Produces approximately 6,000 tons per year of pellets marketed as PureGreen fertilizer with NPK value of 5-6-0; also used as biofuel at cement kilns.
• Cogeneration Facility Four Caterpillar engine generator sets (16-cylinder, turbo-charged, low-emission) capable of generating 750 kilowatts each, fueled by biogas from anaerobic digestion or natural gas. Provides over 80% of the EWPCF's electricity and utilizes waste heat from jacket water and exhaust to heat the plant's solids digesters.
• Carlsbad Water Recycling Facility (CWRF) Owned by Carlsbad Municipal Water District and operated by EWA staff adjacent to EWPCF. The facility can reclaim up to 7 million gallons per day of treated wastewater and supply it to the City of Carlsbad.
• Alternative Fuel Receiving Facility (AFRF) Receiving station with two 22,500-gallon storage tanks that accepts restaurant grease trap waste, brewery waste, and food waste to increase biogas production. During first two years of operation averaged about 80,000 gallons/week of deliveries, increasing gas production by 29% and generating $215,000 in revenue.
• Source Control Program Regulatory compliance program, required under the Clean Water Act, that reduces pollutants from industrial and community sources discharging into the sewer system. Issues wastewater discharge permits to regulated industries, conducts annual inspections and quarterly effluent sampling, and enforces compliance through Notices of Violation, fines, and permit suspensions.
• Encina Ocean Outfall A 1.5-mile-long ocean outfall pipe with a 700-foot diffuser section at 150 feet depth below the ocean surface. It is the regulated discharge point under the NPDES permit (R9-2018-0059) for treated effluent, and has consistently met treatment requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 consecutive days of compliance with ocean discharge permit
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carlsbad Municipal Water DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Owns Carlsbad Water Recycling Facility (CWRF) located adjacent to EWPCF. EWA staff operates the facility which can reclaim up to 7 MGD of treated wastewater supplied to the City of Carlsbad.
• City of CarlsbadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six co-owner member agencies of the Joint Powers Authority. Represented on Board of Directors. Shares operational and management costs of EWA. Receives wastewater treatment and recycled water services.
• City of VistacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six co-owner member agencies of the Joint Powers Authority. Founded partnership with Carlsbad in 1961 to build joint facility. Represented on Board of Directors.
• City of EncinitascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six co-owner member agencies of the Joint Powers Authority. Represented on Board of Directors.
• Vallecitos Water DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six co-owner member agencies of the Joint Powers Authority. Owns and operates Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility (MWRF) which takes treated effluent from EWPCF.
• Buena Sanitation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six co-owner member agencies of the Joint Powers Authority. Joined JPA over decade after founding. Represented on Board of Directors.
• Leucadia Wastewater DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of six co-owner member agencies of the Joint Powers Authority. Owns and operates Gafner Water Reclamation Facility (GWRF) which takes treated effluent from EWPCF.
• CEMEX Cement Kiln (Victorville, CA)minorOthersCEMEX cement kiln in Victorville, California uses EWA biosolids pellets as biofuel. Initially all biosolids pellets were sent there; now percentage goes to nurseries, golf courses, and soil blenders.
• Restaurant Grease Trap Waste SuppliersminorOthersRestaurants and food service facilities supply grease trap waste to EWA's Alternative Fuel Receiving Facility. Averaged about 80,000 gallons/week during first two years, increasing gas production by 29% and generating $215,000 in revenue.
• Breweries and Food Waste ProducersminorOthersBreweries and food waste producers supply feedstocks to help achieve agency's energy independence goal through EWA's Alternative Fuel Receiving Facility.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• East Bay Municipal Utility District: Public utility providing wastewater collection, treatment, and recycled water across a multi-jurisdiction East Bay service area; comparable publicly-owned utility structure with strong emphasis on water reuse and biosolids management.
• Silicon Valley Clean Water: JPA wastewater authority serving several San Mateo County agencies with secondary and tertiary treatment, recycled water, and biosolids management; near-identical governance and operating model in a high-cost California coastal context.
• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District: Regional sanitation district operating advanced wastewater treatment with significant recycled water production and cogeneration; comparable scale, public-agency model, and integrated resource recovery economics.
• Orange County Sanitation District: Large California wastewater JPA operating secondary and advanced treatment with ocean outfall and major resource recovery programs; structurally and operationally very comparable to EWA in scale, regulatory regime, and integrated reclamation/water-reuse mandate.
• Clean Water Services (Washington County, OR): Regional public utility providing wastewater treatment, water reuse, and biosolids management with strong resource-recovery and energy self-sufficiency programs; comparable size, public-agency model, and integrated reuse/energy strategy.
• South Orange County Wastewater Authority: Joint powers authority in Southern California providing regional wastewater treatment and biosolids management to multiple member agencies; one of the closest structural analogs to EWA in scale and JPA governance.
• Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County: Joint powers authority providing wastewater treatment and solid waste management for 78 cities and unincorporated areas; comparable JPA governance, NPDES-regulated ocean discharge, and large-scale biosolids/energy recovery operations.
• Central Contra Costa Sanitary District: California public wastewater agency providing collection, treatment, and resource recovery with recycled water and biosolids reuse programs; comparable publicly-owned utility operating model and regulatory exposure.
• Inland Empire Utilities Agency: Regional wastewater JPA in Southern California that aggregates treatment for multiple agencies and runs extensive recycled water and biosolids-to-energy programs; closely comparable governance, customer-base, and resource-recovery model to EWA.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia North America: Large private operator running contract operations and O&M for municipal wastewater utilities across California and the U.S.; competes with public agencies like EWA for contract plant operations and represents a benchmark for outsourced service economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pureencina
• Facebookfacebook.com/encinawastewaterauthority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/encina-wastewater-authority

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Encina Wastewater Authority