LOS ANGELES, CA, DEC 18, 2018 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded funding in both California and Nevada for drinking water and wastewaterinfrastructure improvements.
More than $187.3 million to support California water and wastewater infrastructure projects was awarded, as well as about $20.8 million to Nevada’s clean water and drinking water State Revolving Fund programs. These federal funds are supplemented with state funding sources, which together provide low-interest loans for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. As money is repaid to the revolving loan fund, the states fund new infrastructure projects.
"These funds will be used for 183 local projects that will boost the economy while improving water systems," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. "EPA is committed to investing in local infrastructure that will benefit the communities we serve."
"As we deal with an unprecedented demand for clean drinking water, the two State Revolving Fund programs will play a significant role in the State Water Board's commitment to protect public health and water quality," said California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Financial Assistance Deputy Director Leslie Laudon. "The funds will address a variety of crucial needs, from upgrading and consolidating small, struggling water systems to recycling wastewater, recharging groundwater and replenishing drinking water supplies. Simply put, these funds help make California water safer, more accessible and sustainable as the state faces a variety of daunting challenges in the years ahead."
California's Drinking Water SRF received more than $72.5 million for drinking water infrastructure improvements to public water systems including:
- The Indio Water Authority will consolidate two small local water systems serving disadvantaged communities into the Indio Water Authority to provide a reliable supply of water that meets drinking water standards.
- The South Tahoe Public Utilities District will install approximately 6,200 linear feet of new waterline and replace approximately 6,200 linear feet of waterline. The program will also include installation of fire hydrants, pressure regulating valves, air release valves, water services, meters, valve clusters, and paving, to provide reliable service to its customers.
The state's Clean Water SRF received more than $114.7 million to support a variety of water infrastructure improvement projects, including the following:
- The East Valley Water District and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District will construct the Sterling Natural Resource Center from the ground up. The treatment plant will use the most advanced technology—a membrane bioreactor-- to produce tertiary treated, recycled wastewater that meets all applicable requirements to recharge the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin and ensure local supplies of drinking water for the community.
- The City of El Centro will upgrade the wastewater treatment plant’s high-speed aeration blowers. Aeration is an integral part of the treatment process and updating to efficient blowers will reduce the plant’s energy use by 34% annually and create significant savings.
Nevada's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) received $12.9 million for drinking water infrastructure improvements to public water systems including:
- The City of North Las Vegas will receive an SRF loan to install approximately 87,000 Advanced Meter Reading (AMI) water meters for 338,000 residents within the Las Vegas Valley. AMI meters allow for a two-way communication with the customer and the City to reduce leaks and non-revenue water loss in the arid desert.
- The Big Bend Water District will construct a riverbank filtration well near its current surface water intake from the Colorado River in Southern Nevada. Significant precipitation events affecting the Colorado River system have, at times, overwhelmed the existing filtration process, resulting in periodic drinking water health warnings for the 9,000 local residents and businesses. A riverbank filtration well is a natural, sustainable solution to remove contaminants as the river recharges the groundwater, reducing potential health concerns during extreme weather events.
The state's Clean Water SRF received almost $8 million to support a variety of water infrastructure improvement projects, including the following:
- Douglas County will receive a loan to upgrade and expand its existing wastewater treatment facility. The upgrades will help the county provide improved treatment and increased capacity for their 6,057 residential, industrial and commercial users, as well the ability to meet federal permit requirements. As a result of the upgrade, the county will provide reused water for irrigation purposes, thus reducing its dependency on source water.
- The town of Hawthorne, Nevada will design and build a water treatment wetlands facility for the community of 3,020, including the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot. The new wetlands will use a green infrastructure approach to improve nitrogen removal, reduce groundwater degradation and improve the local treatment facility’s ability to meet effluent quality permit requirements.
For more information on EPA's SRF programs, visit: www.epa.gov/drinkingwatersrf or www.epa.gov/cwsrf.
