Dept. of Water Resources Releases Grant Funding of $1.3 Million for Water Desalination Projects

Four Southern California projects have been awarded a total of $1.3 million from California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) for water desalination planning and implementation projects. The awardees – the cities of Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks and the Carson -based West Basin Water District – are the recipients of the first round of projects to be awarded grant funding by the Water Desalination Grant Program as part of the Continuous Application Process (CAP1).

The two cities and one water district will use the grant funds for the construction, planning, and design of potable water desalination facilities for both brackish and ocean water sources. The recipients and specific projects include:

• The West Basin Municipal Water District received $547,295 in grant funding for the C. Marvin Brewer Desalter Facility Improvement Project. This construction project will install a new well at an existing groundwater desalination facility.
• A second grant fund of $500,000 was awarded to the West Basin Municipal Water District for an environmental documentation project to prepare the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a proposed ocean desalination facility.
• The city of Simi Valley Water Department received $144,685 in grant funding for a feasibility study to assess the potential to desalinate brackish groundwater in the Simi Valley Groundwater Basin for a possible potable water supply.
• The city of Thousand Oaks was awarded $111,326 in grant funding for a feasibility study to assess the potential to desalinate water from a former golf course irrigation well for both potable and irrigation water supplies.

The Department of Water Resources is currently reviewing the next group of Water Desalination Grant Program applications, referred to as CAP2. DWR provides grants to local cities and agencies for the planning, design, and construction of potable water desalination facilities for both brackish and ocean water. It also provides grants for pilot, demonstration, and research projects.

DWR has conducted three rounds of funding for water desalination projects since 2005 using Proposition 50 funds. The rules and procedures for funding vary depending on funding source, availability of funds, and DWR priorities at the time of funding.

Draft funding recommendations are expected to be released in early May. Visit the Water Desalination Grant Program page at: https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Desalination-Grant-Program for more information or contact Sean Sou at: 916-651-9269 or [email protected].