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State Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier), E. Joaquin Esquivel, State Water Resources Control Board chair, and Carson Mayor Pro Tem Jawane Hilton joined representatives from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts during the event at the Pure Water Southern California demonstration facility this week to present a check for $80 million.
The investment will go towards the large-scale, regional water recycling program that will create a new source of water to benefit 19 million people. Construction is expected to start in 2025 and water deliveries to start in 2032.
“The climate crisis has strained our region’s water supply,” said Assemblymember Calderon. “It’s imperative we continue investing in projects focused on addressing our water needs. I am pleased to support the work of the Metropolitan Water District and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts in advancing the Pure Water Southern California project. This effort will provide a more resilient, sustainable water infrastructure system for our local communities.”
Scientists and engineers are testing an innovative purification process at the demonstration plant to ensure the treated water meets the highest water purification standards. Once built, the full-scale project will take cleaned wastewater that is currently sent to the ocean and purify it to produce high-quality drinking water. The purified water will then be delivered through up to 60 miles of new pipelines to the region’s groundwater basins, industrial facilities and two of Metropolitan’s water treatment plants.
Metropolitan officials expressed appreciation for the state funding as the agency works to address the many challenges to its water supplies.
“I am deeply grateful to the state for their support of Pure Water as we embark on an aggressive agenda to prepare for the challenging decades ahead,” said Metropolitan board Director Dennis Erdman, who serves as chair of the board’s Engineering, Operations and Technology Committee. “This project is critical to the success and well-being of Southern California and the many communities we serve. This funding will help us move forward as expeditiously as possible.”
Robert Ferrante, the Sanitation Districts’ general manager and chief engineer, also emphasized the importance of partnerships.
“We look forward to producing a new sustainable supply of water for Southern California to mitigate future droughts,” Ferrante said. “We can only move forward on a project of this size with a partner like Metropolitan that has the right experience and expertise to make the effort successful.”
