The East County Advanced Water Purification Program says two combined heat and power generators have arrived at the future Energy Recovery System site in Santee, where the program's main facilities are located.

The generators are designed to use biogas produced during wastewater treatment to generate electricity for the site, according to an Oct. 12 update from the program. Officials said the system is intended to reduce energy costs and save ratepayer dollars while supporting a new local water supply.

The program says the system is expected to generate 20,000 kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable energy each day. The agency compared that output to enough electricity to power about 700 homes for one day or drive an electric vehicle 80,000 miles.

For Santee residents, the update matters because the core project facilities are housed in the city and are tied to the region's long-term water reliability plans. The Energy Recovery System is expected to be complete in 2028.

The update was published by the East County Advanced Water Purification Program.