The Bureau of Reclamation will provide funding to three Southern California communities to help plan, design and construct congressionally authorized Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects. The $12,867,342 to be shared by the three SoCal water agencies is part of a total of $16.98 million that Reclamation is providing to five water agencies. The remaining two agencies are in Hawaii and Texas.

Title XVI is part of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program that focuses on improving water conservation and helping water-resource managers across the West to make sound decisions about water use. “The program is successful in helping communities to look beyond the traditional surface or groundwater sources,” said Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. “This program allows communities to diversify their water supply—exploring water reuse, recycling and other techniques while improving efficiency and flexibility during water shortages.”

Two of the water agencies are in San Diego County, the third is in Riverside County:

  • Padre Dam Municipal Water District (PDMWD) will receive $778,003 for the San Diego Area Water Reclamation Program — PDMWD is implementing a Phase I Water Recycling Project including the expansion of the Ray Stoyer Reclamation Facility, construction of a new advanced water purification facility, potable reuse conveyance pipelines, a product water pump station, and a biosolids digestion facility to offset energy demands of the project. The water district provides water, wastewater, recycled water and recreation services to 100,000 residents in various San Diego suburbs. The PDMWD reclamation project is expected to create 3,900 acre-feet, or 127 million gallons, annually of potable water by capturing wastewater flows that would otherwise be discharged to the ocean.
  • The City of San Diego will receive $10,361,379 for the San Diego Area Water Reclamation Program — It will help fund a phased, multi-year program to make 93,000 acre-feet, or 30 billion gallons, of water available per year by 2035. This accounts for 30% of the City of San Diego’s water supply. The funding will be used to complete the final design of the project. The project will provide the city with a new, reliable source of potable water and will reduce the amount of wastewater that is released into the ocean.
  • Rancho California Water District (RCWD) will receive $1,727,960 for the Rancho California Water District Project – RCWD will utilize funds to implement components of its Demineralization and Non-Potable Conversion Program. This includes the design, materials, and construction activities to convert 54 irrigation sites to accept non-potable recycled water. The water agency, which provides water and wastewater services near Temecula and Rancho California in Riverside County, will also use the funding to support construction of a small-scale recycled groundwater recharge facility. It is anticipated that the project will save 18,400 acre-feet, or nearly 6 billion gallons, of water per year.

Through the Title XVI program, the Bureau of Reclamation identifies and investigates opportunities to reclaim and reuse wastewaters and impaired ground and surface water in the 17 Western States and Hawaii. Title XVI includes funding for the planning, design, and construction of water recycling and reuse projects in partnership with local government entities. In 2018, an estimated 431,000 acre-feet of water was recycled through Title XVI projects.

Source: California Water News Daily