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Secretary Salazar announces $134.3 million in economic recovery investments to improve water reclamation and reuse in the West

Posted by: Maven on July 2, 2009 at 7:37 am

From the U.S. Department of the Interior, this press release:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has identified 27 water reclamation and reuse projects that will share in a total of $134.3 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

These water projects – known as “Title XVI” projects for the title of Public Law 102-575 that established the program – facilitate the reclamation and reuse of wastewater and naturally impaired ground and surface waters.

The $134.3 million for these projects is part of President Barack Obama’s $1 billion investment of ARRA funding provided by the Department of the Interior for water projects across the West. In April, Secretary Salazar announced an additional $260 million in ARRA funding to address California’s current drought conditions and to meet the state’s long-term water supply infrastructure needs. Today’s announcement brings total funding for California water-related activities funding under the Interior portion of ARRA to $381 million.

These 27 projects will team non-federal sponsors with local communities and the federal government to provide growing communities with new sources of clean water while promoting water and energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Federal funding will be leveraged to construct a total of more than $675 million in Title XVI projects.

“The Bureau of Reclamation is known for its forward-looking partnerships with local communities and governments to provide reliable, efficient water across 17 Western states,” Secretary Salazar said. “These ARRA funds will continue that tradition – creating economic opportunities and local jobs while infusing some of the nation’s most drought- ravaged areas with expanded water supplies and a brighter outlook for the future.”

Read more from the press release by clicking here.

From the Office of the Governor, this statement:

California Recovery Task Force Director Cynthia Bryant today issued the following statement after U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced $134.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding for water recycling and reuse projects in the West. California water agencies received $131.8 million of this funding for 26 of the 27 total projects announced today.

“We are working around the clock with the federal government to pump Recovery Act funding into the California economy quickly and responsibly – and as California copes with ongoing drought conditions, this funding is especially welcome to help fund critical water recycling and conservation projects up and down the state,” said California Recovery Task Force Director Cynthia Bryant.

Read more and get a list of projects approved for funding by clicking here.

The ACWA issued this brief statement:

“This is a huge victory for California. These dollars are a much-needed boost for our state, which leads the nation in developing and implementing water recycling projects to stretch every drop of water in California,” Quinn said.

He credited Interior officials for making recycling projects a priority for ARRA dollars, and thanked the state’s congressional delegation for its efforts to secure the funding.

Metropolitan Water District issued a statement praising the Obama administration and Representative Grace Napolitano:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar this morning identified the 27 projects throughout the West that will share nearly $135 million in ARRA funding through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program. Projects within California will receive 98 percent of the federal funding, with more than 70 percent of the state’s projects located within Metropolitan’s six-county service area.

“Today’s federal investments will help pave the way for water reclamation and reuse projects and programs that will expand the reliability of statewide resources and bring long-term sustainable water supplies within reach for all of California,” said Timothy F. Brick, chairman of Metropolitan’s Board of Directors.

“This level of federal funding for California projects, particularly in the state’s south coastal plain, will not only bring drought relief and jobs, but also the promise of balancing local resources with imported supplies. This balance is part of the ongoing effort to address the needs of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s fragile ecosystem and to secure a more reliable water system serving 25 million Californians,” Brick said.

Among those in the California congressional delegation who played critical roles in securing the funding, Brick singled out Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Montebello) in her role as chair of the House Water & Power Subcommittee for her continued leadership in helping to address California water issues and problems.

“If not for leaders like Congresswoman Napolitano, Southern California would remain mired in the crosshairs of some of the most challenging water supply and economic conditions we’ve ever faced, without the tangible hope and promise provided by today’s federal funding.”

More from the Metropolitan Water District by clicking here.

July 2, 2009 · Filed Under Recycled Water

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