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Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) Board of Directors approved a Capital Improvement and Facilities Plan for the coming fiscal year (2019-2020) and has also developed an innovative blueprint to guide work on 93 capital projects District-wide through 2024. The plan sets capital priorities for the current year while forecasting project needs over a five-year span.
The capital projects will create, maintain and improve the systems that serve water to Western customers which align with the district’s overarching strategic priorities. The report also explains which capital projects customers can expect and in what order, providing transparency, consistency and sound long-term planning.
The plan for this fiscal year includes improvements to WMWD’s water and wastewater systems as well as joint projects with partners such as the Chino Desalter Authority, the Santa Rosa Regional Resources Authority and the Western Riverside County Regional Wastewater Authority.
“Western has a robust maintenance and replacement program that continually protects the integrity of our pipes, pumps, and treatment systems to ensure water delivery is not interrupted due to equipment failure,” said WMWD General Manager Craig Miller.
In 2019-20, WMWD anticipates capital project costs of nearly $38 million including approximately $6 million dollars in projects to be constructed in the district’s Murrieta Division. Whereas $17 million in net capital spending will come from the district’s general fund and the Riverside Water Reliability Fund, funding offsets — from sources such as state and federal grants and loans — will total almost $21 million.
“Providing customers with the consistent delivery of safe, reliable drinking water is our top priority,” said Miller. “We do that by investing in our system so that it will provide for customers now and for generations to come.”
WMWD’s plan includes nearly 100 projects in a five-year forecast of Western’s capital needs. The plan’s focus is to combine teamwork and service minded planning. Prioritized projects are determined through a collaborative, multi-departmental process featuring staff considered factors including safety, current asset conditions, risk of equipment failure, funding availability and regulatory requirements. WMWD staff also assessed individual project workloads and the overall impact to ensure feasibility and timely completion. District staff will revisit the priorities each year to ensure a focus on investments that best serve customers, address evolving challenges and meet the District’s most pressing needs.
