California water agencies receive $22M from Reclamation for “stretching limited water supplies”

As part of the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse program, the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded more than $23,000,000 to water agencies and projects in seven states for planning, designing and constructing water recycling and re-use projects; developing feasibility studies; and researching desalination and water recycling projects. The majority of the funds have been awarded to California water agencies throughout the state. Nine California water districts will be the recipients of $22,078,655 for 12 projects/programs.

Six California agencies will receive $20,980,129 for Title XV Authorized Projects, authorized by Congress, for planning, design and/or construction activities on a project-specific basis, including:

• City of Pasadena Water and Power Department, Pasadena Non-Potable Water Project, Phase I, $2,000,000
• City of San Diego, San Diego Area Water Reclamation Program, $4,200,000
• Hi-Desert Water District, Hi-Desert District Wastewater Reclamation Project, $4,000,000
• Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Lower Chino Dairy Area Desalination and Reclamation Project, $5,199,536
• Padre Dam Municipal Water District, San Diego Area Water Reclamation Program, $3,900,000
• Santa Clara Valley Water District, South Santa Clara County Recycled Water Project, $1,680,593

Agencies looking to develop new water reclamation and reuse facilities, Reclamation has selected 13 projects to receive $1,791,561 – 450,000 for three California projects — for Title XVI Feasibility Studies and include:

• Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Pure Water Project Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, $150,000
• Soquel Creek Water District, Pure Water Soquel – Replenishing Mid-County Groundwater with Groundwater with Purified Recycled Water, $150,000
• Valley Center Municipal Water District, Lower Moosa Canyon Wastewater Recycling, Reuse, and sub-regional Brine Disposal Project, $150,000

Additionally, the Title XVI Program will fund research to establish or expand water reuse markets, improve or expand existing water reuse facilities, and streamline the implementation of clean water technology at new facilities. Three California agencies will receive $648,526 of the $847,701 awarded to four projects including:

• City of San Diego, Demonstrating Innovative Control of Biological Fouling of Microfiltration/Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis Membranes and Enhanced Chemical and Energy Efficiency in Potable Water, $300,000
• City of San Diego, Site-Specific Analytical Testing of RO Brine Impacts to the Treatment Process, $48,526
• Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Pure Water Project Las Virgenes-Truinfo Demonstration Project, $300,000

“This funding provides essential tools for stretching limited water supplies by helping communities reclaim and reuse wastewater and impaired ground or surface waters,” said Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “These tools are just part of the toolkit for bridging the gap between water supply and demand and thus making water supplies more drought-resistant. In addition to this funding, Reclamation is actively supporting state and local partners in their efforts to boost water storage capacity.”

Title XVI funding has been used to provide communities with new sources of clean water, while promoting water and energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Since 1992, approximately $672 million in federal funding has been leveraged with non-federal funding to implement more than $3.3 billion in water reuse improvements.