On June 8, 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation provided $16.6 million to nine congressionally-authorized Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse projects. The goal is to help revitalize and boost the resilience of tribes, communities and regions by reusing water that would normally be wasted.
This funding, part of the WaterSMART Program, is for the planning, design, and construction of water recycling and reuse projects in partnership with local government entities.
“Title XVI projects develop and supplement urban and irrigation water supplies by reclaiming and reusing water,” said Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman.
“These projects assist communities with new sources of clean water, which increases water management flexibility and makes water supply more reliable,” she added.
The projects selected are:
- City and County of Honolulu, Kalaeloa Seawater Desalination Project (Hawaii); $1,026,272
- The City of Escondido, Membrane Filtration Reverse Osmosis Facility (California); $3,069,303
- City of San Diego, Pure Water San Diego Program (California); $1,160,139
- County of Hawaii, Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant R-1 Upgrade Project (Hawaii); $1,459,056
- Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility Expansion Project (California); $1,397,974
- Long Beach Water Department, Expansion of Recycled Water System and Improved Efficiency in Water Reclamation of the El Dorado Duck Pond (California); $1,217,829
- Long Beach Water Department, Tanks 19 and 20 Conversion Project (California); $692,578
- Mojave Water Agency, Upper Mojave River Groundwater Regional Recharge and Recovery Project Improvements (California); $2,659,802
- Padre Dam Municipal Water District, East County Advanced Water Purification Program (California); $4,000,000
Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. [Hopefully, all of these pumps—especially for the reverse osmosis—will be powered by renewable energy. – REVITALIZATION editor]
Photo of reverse osmosis facility courtesy of Bureau of Reclamation.