Funding will ensure water reliability for disadvantaged community

San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) has stepped up to ensure the residents of Cabazon will have a reliable water supply for years to come.

SGPWA is providing gap funding to help the Cabazon Water District pay for grant-funded system improvements up front while the District waits for the state to reimburse the work.

Cabazon was awarded two grants through various state funding programs.  The two grant-funded projects will help modernize the water delivery system of a disadvantaged community and support regional efficiency, supply management, and future groundwater production. Without backing from SGPWA, the District was at risk of losing the grants, which cover 100 percent of the cost of the following projects:

• Isolation Valve Improvement Project – A $1.2 million project to replace and install 105 valves on existing water distribution pipelines. The valves will improve system reliability and decrease water usage during maintenance activities.
• Well Improvements Project ­– A $499,000 grant for groundwater well improvements, including well testing, well refurbishment design and transmission line design for future projects.

SGPWA will provide up to $800,000 per reimbursement cycle to the District, which will later be repaid to the Agency.  Grant reimbursements can take many months. It is not uncommon for small water systems to not have the cash reserves to cover project costs during the state’s reimbursement “gap” period, putting the grant awards at risk.

“The District was grateful to the state for the grant support but was struggling to pay the upfront costs for the work,” said Cabazon Water District General Manager Michael Pollack.

SGPWA Director Kevin Walton noted the importance of utilities helping utilities. “One of the region’s most vulnerable water systems was in a position to lose hard-earned grant funding from the state,” he said. “We need to support each other where we can, when we can.”