Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman announced that Reclamation is awarding $35.3m for six authorized Title XVI water reclamation and reuse projects in California.

11Feb - Reclamation

Image: Membranes, like this in the photo, are used to filter and treat previously unusable water so it is available to local communities. Photo: Courtesy of US Department of the Interior – Bureau of Reclamation.

The funding will be used to improve flexibility during water shortages and diversify the water supply.

“Title XVI projects provide opportunities for communities to recycle wastewater and treat water that was previously unusable,” Commissioner Burman said. “It is a proven tool that enables communities to access dependable water supplies.”

Title XVI Authorized Projects are authorized by Congress and are selected to receive funding for planning, design and/or construction activities through a competitive process. The six projects selected for funding are:

City of Escondido, Membrane Filtration Reverse Osmosis Facility Project, $5,000,000

City of San Diego, Pure Water San Diego Program, $9,000,000

City of San Jose, South Bay Water Recycling Phase 1B Infrastructure Improvements, $2,545,471

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Horsethief Canyon Wastewater Reclamation Facility Expansion and Upgrade Project, $2,693,455

Hi-Desert Water District, Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Project, $8,668,500

Padre Dam Municipal Water District, East County Advanced Water Purification Program. $7,392,351

Reclamation provides funding through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program for projects that reclaim and reuse municipal, industrial, domestic or agricultural wastewater and impaired ground or surface waters. Reclaimed water can be used for a variety of purposes, such as environmental restoration, fish and wildlife, groundwater recharge, municipal, domestic, industrial, agricultural, power generation or recreation. Learn more at https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/title/.

Title XVI is part of the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART Program. Through WaterSMART, Reclamation works cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. Visit https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart for additional information about the program.

Source: Company Press Release.