E.P.A. awards $174 million to enhance drinking water systems, reduce water pollution across California

FRESNO - The E.P.A. today announced that it recently awarded the State of California $174 million in federal backing to invest in water infrastructure projects. The California Department of Public Health received a $79 million grant for its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the California State Water Resources Control Board received a $95 million grant for its Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The backing will be used for plans to control water pollution and provide low-cost loans for both drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades statewide.

"In the last 26 years, E.P.A. has provided in excess of $4 billion in backing for California water plans alone" said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator of EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "Without this investment at the federal level, many communities would not be able to satisfy Californians' basic needs for clean and safe drinking water."

Plans previously supported by the State Revolving Fund include a $34 million loan to Los Angeles Co. for the construction of a new pumping plant and renovating aging water mains and an $11 million loan to the City of Lathrop to construct an arsenic treatment facility, enhance wells and lay down new water mains for over 16,000 residents.

The funds are used for a wide variety of water quality projects, including nonpoint source pollution control, watershed protection or restoration, water and energy efficiency projects, wastewater reclamation, drinking water infrastructure improvements, technical assistance, and traditional municipal wastewater treatment projects.

The EPA's Pacific Southwest Region administers and enforces federal environmental laws in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations -- home to in excess of 48 million people. The E.P.A. is also a significant source of funding. In 2013, in excess of 85 percent of the $631 million regional operating budget flowed to state and tribal agencies, local governments, non-profit organizations and private-sector companies in the form of grants and contracts. This backing pays for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, air pollution reduction programs, Superfund location cleanups and many other activities that protect human health and natural resources.

For more information on EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, visit: http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/index.cfm

For more information on EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund, visit: http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/cwsrf_index.cfm

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