California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
A $39 million federal grant has been awarded to the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). The funding will be used to expand the Thermal Wastewater Treatment Plant and provide a blend of recycled and canal water for crop irrigation and various landscapes in the eastern Coachella Valley.
The grant, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, will provide the resources needed for the initial phase of the project and will conserve 33,600 acre-feet of Colorado River water over 30 years, contributing to the stability of Lake Mead.
“These investments through the Lower Colorado Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program, are yielding hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water savings,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Thanks to historic resources provided through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are advancing essential water infrastructure projects that mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and safeguard communities in the Colorado River Basin.”
The expansion of the Thermal Wastewater Treatment Plant includes two additional phases slated for completion within the next five years. Once completed, the facility will have the capacity to utilize its entire recycled water supply of 10 million gallons daily.
This will be the first CVWD treatment plant to offer this type of blended water supply to irrigation customers.
