Coachella Valley Water District Completes Phase 1 of Palm Desert Replenishment Facility

The recent completion of Phase 1 of the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) Palm Desert Replenishment Facility marks a milestone in the district’s effort to mitigate historical groundwater level declines and improve groundwater quality primarily within the West Whitewater River Subbasin Area of Benefit of the Coachella Valley Basin.

A late February event to celebrate the completion of the replenishment facility provided CNDW officials an opportunity to share an overview of the project as well as a ceremonial turning of the valve to bring water into a new replenishment pond at the facility located behind the Steve Robbins Administration Building in Palm Desert.

“CVWD has always been focused on ensuring the reliability of the water supplies of this region. Doing so is critical to our environment, to the vibrant economy that we enjoy, and to all our livelihood,” CVWD board President John Powell told the group gathered to mark the event. “But we haven’t done so alone. We have had partners and, in the future, we will work to manage this basin as partners.”

CVWD has partnered with neighboring and Palm Springs-based Desert Water Agency (DWA) on groundwater replenishment initiatives since the 1970s at the Whitewater replenishment facility. Both the cities of Coachella and Indio are working with CVWD and DWA on sustainable groundwater management planning.

“We come from a long line of water managers that were ahead of their times,” DWA board president Joseph K. Stuart said. “It has been our responsibility and privilege to continue in their footsteps. This facility will improve groundwater conditions in the central Coachella Valley and further secure and diversify water imports.

CVWD is a public agency serving approximately 108,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, located primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties. The district provides agricultural drainage, domestic and irrigation water, groundwater management and water conservation, regional storm water protection and wastewater treatment and reclamation services.

City of Coachella Mayor Pro Tem Emmanuel Martinez praised the partnership between the participating agencies saying, “These types of partnerships are very important.” He also voiced his appreciation for the city of Coachella’s involvement in the project.