U.S. E.P.A. Declares Nearly $300 Million in Federal Backing for Critical California Infrastructure Enhancements

2010-201l E.P.A. Capitalization grants will fund innovative green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency enhancements in Northern, Central, Southern California

SAN FRANCISCO - The E.P.A. has announced nearly $300 million in federal backing to enhance aging water and wastewater infrastructure and protect human health and the environment for people in the State of California. This new infusion of money through infrastructure capitalization grants will help state and local governments finance many of the overdue enhancements to water plans that are essential to protecting public health and the environment throughout California.

"Today our water infrastructure is working harder than ever to address growing populations, new and old pollution challenges and tightening budgets," E.P.A. Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. "With nearly $300 million in E.P.A. support, California will be able to put people to work and ensure clean, healthy water in their environment and safe drinking water in their homes."

"Investing in our infrastructure will not only enhance our long-term economic growth and global competitiveness, it will also create jobs now when we need them the most," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "With $300 million, we'll be able to get Californians working to enhance our aging water infrastructure and spearhead innovative new plans that will benefit our environment and economy. I applaud the U.S. E.P.A. for their foresight in providing this federal funding."

The E.P.A. has awarded $127 million to the California Department of Public Health for drinking water infrastructure plans and $147 million to the State Water Resources Control Board for wastewater projects. The backing will update sewage and water treatment facilities and support drinking water plans in Northern, Central and Southern California. At least 20 percent of the funds provided are to be used for green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements, and other environmentally innovative projects.

The following California municipalities are currently pursuing a backing agreement, pending a technical, environmental and/or financial review: Fresno, Klamath, Tehachapi, Merced, Sonoma, Monterey, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Stockton, Shasta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Redding, Yucaipa, Castro Valley, Seal Beach, Santa Cruz, Turlock, Seal Beach, San Clemente, Alameda, Solano, Brea, Mendocino, Salinas, East Palo Alto, Sacramento, Oakland, Modesto, Thousand Oaks, Vacaville, Fontana, Arvin, Banning, Atwater, Sausalito, Orange County, San Leandro, Beverly Hills, Pismo Beach, La Puente, San Luis Obispo, San Leandro, Morro Bay, Hollywood and many others. For a full list of potentially fundable projects, please see the recipients identified in the links below.

To view a list of the plans in your community currently identified as fundable by the California Department of Public Health please visit: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/funding/Documents/SRF/2010/AppendixC-2010Final10-11FundableList-09-21-2010.xls.

To view a list of the plans in your community currently competing for backing from the Water Board please visit: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/srf/docs/fy1011/iup_fy1011.pdf.

The backing will be distributed by the Water Resources Control Board and the California Department of Public Health. The funds will provide low-interest loans and principal forgiveness loans for water quality protection plans for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. They will also provide low-interest loans or principal forgiveness loans for drinking water systems in order to finance infrastructure improvements. The programs emphasize backing for small and disadvantaged communities and encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water.

Over the past year, the California State Revolving Fund Plan has funded a wide variety of water quality improvement projects.

In Northern California, the City of Oakland's Rainwater Harvesting Plan has received $1.3 million in state revolving funds. The Plan provide incentives, training, and rain barrels to allow residents to re-use rainwater for irrigation purposes and to mitigate stormwater impacts to local and regional water resources.

In Contra Costa County, the Ironhouse Sanitary District Waste Water Treatment plant expansion plan has received $51.9 million in funds to replace the District's outdated secondary wastewater treatment facility with a new tertiary facility. Treated effluent will be reused for agricultural purposes to the maximum extent possible.

In Southern California, the City of Redondo Beach's Alta Vista park diversion and re-use plan has received $2.2 million. The plan will divert, treat and reuse runoff from a 101-acre watershed that discharges into Santa Monica Bay just south of the Redondo Beach Pier.

Since 1989, E.P.A. has provided the Water Board a cumulative total of $2,454,850,118 in clean water SRF capitalization grant funds.

Since 1998, E.P.A. has provided California's Department of Public Health a cumulative total of $1,289,315,478 in drinking water SRF capitalization grant funds.

For additional details on other projects, or to schedule an interview with an E.P.A. expert, please contact Mary Simms at [email protected]. Please include your name, affiliation, deadline along with your request for additional information.

There are currently no comments for this story. Be the first to add a comment!
Click here to add a comment about this story.