In March, 1991, the Encina Wastewater Authority (EWA) retained a consultant to prepare a Water Reclamation/Effluent Management Study. The study was prompted because the EWA wants to maintain a proactive position in providing wastewater treatment and disposal services, and to support reclamation efforts where practical. The objectives of the study included identification of any avoided costs associated with wastewater treatment or disposal that might result from reclamation, and identification of a long-term strategy for the economical disposal of treated effluent from the Encina Water Pollution Control Facility (EWPCF). Effluent management alternatives were evaluated on a monetary and nonmonetary basis. A key finding of this study was that the presence of a water reclamation project using secondary effluent from the EWPCF did not affect the selection of the preferred disposal alternatives. This is largely because an upstream reclamation facility would still rely on the Encina facilities for fail-safe disposal of excess reclaimed water. While implementation of a water reclamation project does not affect the selection of the best method of effluent disposal, it will affect the overall cost of implementation. The selection of the best disposal alternative was most affected by whether the Vallecitos Water District remains a member of the EWA.