Eastern Municipal secures federal funding for water projects

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) has secured federal funding for four major projects that will help provide greater water supply reliability to its service area in the coming years.

The funding comes from earmarks established in the Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law on March 9, 2024.

• Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41^st) helped secure $2.3 million in funds for EMWD’s Water Booster Plant Improvements Project. The project will help make EMWD’s pumping facilities more resilient during public safety power outages by adding generators and block walls around remote booster facilities. This will help protect facilities against the threat of wildland fires and potential outages.
• Congressman Mark Takano (CA-39^th) secured $959,752 for EMWD’s Purified Water Replenishment (PWR) program. The funding will be used toward construction of key elements of the PWR treatment process. The PWR program will improve the quality and quantity of groundwater supplies through replenishment of purified recycled water into the basin. The project has previously received $27.5 million in federal funding.
• Congressman Takano also secured $959,752 for Phase 2 of the Cactus II Feeder Project in Moreno Valley. The large-diameter pipeline will help convey water to the eastern side of Moreno Valley.
• Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48^th) worked to provide $638,540 for the French Valley Recycled Water Gap Pipeline project. The project will help expand recycled water infrastructure through the growing French Valley community, reducing EMWD’s reliance on imported water supplies for irrigation needs of parks, schools and community landscaping.

EMWD has been among the most active agencies in the nation at securing federal, state and local grant funding opportunities. In the past 20 years, EMWD has secured more than $700 million in external funding for a wide range of water, wastewater and recycled water infrastructure programs to help bolster local water supplies while offsetting rates for EMWD customers.

“EMWD is appreciative of the significant support we have received from our Congressional delegation to help bring our ratepayers tax dollars back into their communities to invest in water supply resiliency projects,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “We thank our local members of Congress, and their staffs, for the relationships we have developed and look forward to completing these projects to help our region have a more sustainable water supply future.”