Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District shared updates on several major infrastructure projects during the Lake Elsinore City Council meeting on July 14, including the Mission Trail Sewer Pipeline Project.
EVMWD Engineering Manager Nelson Nuezca said the projects are focused on expanding sewer capacity to support future growth while minimizing construction impacts.
Nuezca said the first phase of the Mission Trail Sewer Pipeline Project is currently under construction. The approximately $16 million project includes installing about 3,200 feet of new 36-inch sewer pipeline between Malaga Road and south of Sedco Boulevard. The project will expand sewer capacity along the Mission Trail corridor and support the transition of Sedco Hills homes from septic systems to EVMWD’s centralized sewer system.
Nuezca said EVMWD is using microtunneling, a trenchless construction method that installs pipe underground without digging a continuous trench, to reduce impacts along Mission Trail.
“The project is going extremely well and construction is ongoing,” Nuezca said. “Anything that flows down that Mission Trail corridor is going to be helped tremendously by this particular project.”
The first phase is expected to be completed around March 2027.
The second phase of the project is in the design stage and would add about 15,300 feet of new sewer main extending south along Mission Trail from the B-2 Lift Station to Palomar Street, along with a shorter connection along Corydon Road.
Nuezca said the district expects the design of the second phase to be completed in March 2027. Construction is expected to take about 24 to 30 months once underway.
As part of the design process, Nuezca said the district is evaluating traffic control options and looking at construction phasing to avoid having Mission Trail and Corydon Road impacted at the same time. He said EVMWD will continue coordinating with city staff as the project moves forward.
“One of the things to expect … is temporary traffic impacts,” Nuezca said. “And we are definitely trying to work hard to minimize the impact of Mission Trail because we understand it’s a very important thoroughfare.”
In addition to the Mission Trail Project, Nuezca highlighted other planned projects, including the Avenues Septic to Sewer project, the Diamond Regional Sewer Lift Station Project and the Riverside Drive Sewer Improvements Project.
For the grant-funded Avenues Septic to Sewer project, Nuezca said crews have installed about 13,000 feet of sewer main and converted about 25 homes from septic systems to the district’s sewer system. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2027.
The Diamond Regional Sewer Lift Station Project is a $54 million project designed to support long-term sewer capacity in the region, with completion expected around April 2027.
Nuezca also provided an update on the Riverside Drive Sewer Improvements Project, which began construction last week. The project will eventually remove the A-3 Lift Station located in front of Launch Pointe. Nuezca said the district is coordinating with the city to maintain access to Launch Pointe during construction.
“We understand how important the Launch Pointe facility is to the city,” Nuezca said.
Nuezca said residents with questions about EVMWD’s projects can visit the district’s website or contact the district directly at 951-674-3146 or elsinoreeddie@evmwd.net.
