Rainbow Water Celebrates National Water Month with Student Field Trips

May 2025
Students from Sullivan Middle and Bonsall High School visited the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility (SLR WRF) for two field trips hosted by Rainbow  Water District and City of Oceanside to celebrate National Water Month in May. Seventh and tenth grade students toured Oceanside’s SLR WRF to understand how wastewater from Rainbow Water and communities east of Interstate 5 is treated to produce recycled water.

“Our team is proud to partner with City of Oceanside’s Water Utilities department to showcase careers in the water and wastewater industry and give students an inside look at the process of treating our wastewater,” said Jake Wiley, Rainbow Water General Manager. “These field trips highlight the importance of interagency cooperation and provide water education opportunities to benefit our community for generations to come.”

City of Oceanside’s Wastewater Treatment Superintendent for the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility,
Scott Speigle (pictured at right), led students on atwo-hour tour of the facility with an in-depth look at how Rainbow Water’s wastewater travels through 12 miles of underground service lines to the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility. Speigle reviewed wastewater treatment steps, including bar screening, grit removal, primary clarifier, aeration, secondary clarifier, and chlorination. He broke down the process to explain that the system often relies on manual debris extraction at the preliminary stage (bar screening), including a collection of debris that should
not be flushed down the drain. 

“Keeping the wastewater clean is a priority at the treatment plant, where we remove over 20 yards of debris a week, including large debris like personal hygiene products and grit or sand that can damage downstream processes,” said Speigle. 

Speigle emphasized the importance of everyone taking care of the wastewater system by only flushing bodily fluids and toilet paper. The items included in the non-flush list were personal hygiene products, prescription drugs, produce stickers, and flushable wipes. To further visualize the importance of proper disposal of items, Speigle provided a live demonstration of items dissolving in water, with toilet paper disintegrating within seconds, while the flushable wipes failed to break down. In addition, students learned to avoid pouring fats, grease and oil down the drain to prevent clogs and debris buildup from the viscous food or personal care items.

The field trips are part of Bonsall Unified School District’s STEM career field trips, which aim to provide students with potential pathways for future career opportunities. Students who attended the field trips gained a deeper understanding of the wastewater treatment process and educational pathways to pursue careers in the water industry.