{"id":77701,"date":"2025-12-02T10:07:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=77701"},"modified":"2025-12-02T10:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:07:15","slug":"2-9-billion-gallons-of-clean-drinking-water-added-to-californias-supply-with-new-investments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=77701","title":{"rendered":"2.9 billion gallons of clean drinking water added to California\u2019s supply with new investments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Projects will serve more than a million Californians<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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What you need to know:<\/strong>\u00a0Governor Newsom\u2019s strategy to create more water infrastructure continues, with eight new projects up and down the state to add 2.9 billion gallons to the state water supply. The projects improve local water systems across California to increase wastewater recycling, keep sewage away from groundwater, remove forever chemicals from drinking water, and desalinate brackish river water.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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SACRAMENTO \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Governor Gavin Newsom has made significant strides in securing and enhancing water supplies, including improving the state\u2019s ability to capture stormwater. Fortified by state investment to strengthen and expand California\u2019s local water infrastructure, eight major, state-funded projects completed or broke ground across California this fall\u2014including water recycling, wastewater treatment and desalination facilities\u2014that benefit over 1 million people. Collectively, the projects add about 2.9 billion gallons annually to the state\u2019s water supplies, enough water for roughly 20,000 homes per year.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re dealing with hotter, drier, wetter, more volatile weather all at once \u2014 and California has to stay ahead of it. That means continuing to harden and modernize our water systems so 40 million people can count on a reliable supply in the face of these extremes. I\u2019m proud of the investments we\u2019re making, and we\u2019re not slowing down. We\u2019re going to keep advancing the projects, the storage, the recycling, and the infrastructure upgrades that ensure every community has stable, safe water access for the long haul.\u201d<\/h4>\n
Governor Gavin Newsom<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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New water projects in California<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The projects throughout the state were funded by nearly $590 million in grants and low-interest loans, including funding from the\u00a0Clean Water<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Drinking Water<\/a>\u00a0State Revolving Funds. During the past fiscal year, the State Water Board\u00a0invested $2 billion<\/a>\u00a0to support new projects in 390 communities. When these projects complete in the years to come, they will benefit nearly half the state\u2019s population. And since 2019, the board has distributed over $11 billion in financial assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we build the water and wastewater infrastructure California needs to prepare for a hotter, drier climate with more extreme weather, state investment is accelerating projects in large towns and cities, as well as\u00a0small, rural communities<\/a>,\u201d said State Water Board Chair, E. Joaquin Esquivel. \u201cMajor state and federal infrastructure commitments in recent years have enabled the board to offer significant levels of grants and low-interest financing that keep vital projects affordable. The board will continue to act as the engine for distributing these investments year on year, so communities will have the water they need in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#1 Removing PFAS chemicals in Irvine<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In Irvine, 38,000 people will receive water free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS), thanks to\u00a0a new treatment system<\/a>\u00a0recently completed by the Irvine Water District using a $2.8 million state grant. The project removes PFAS from local groundwater. The system can process up to 3,200 gallons of water per minute. The project was\u00a0one of seven similar projects<\/a>\u00a0through the Orange County Water District.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#2 Upgrading wastewater facilities in San Luis Obispo<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In October, San Luis Obispo finished the wastewater upgrade of its\u00a0Water Resource Recovery Facility<\/a>, which will help improve services for 46,000 people in San Luis Obispo. The upgrade, which was funded by a $140 million low-interest loan from the state, replaced aging equipment and improved secondary treatment and disinfection technologies to meet state and federal standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SLO Water Plus project is the largest capital improvement the city has ever undertaken, and the State Water Board\u2019s financing and technical support were instrumental,\u201d said Miguel Barcenas, the city\u2019s Utilities Deputy Director. \u201cThe low-interest loan is keeping our wastewater rates low, lower than expected.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#3 More water capacity for Monterey<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In October, Monterey One Water opened the\u00a0Advanced Water Purification Facility<\/a>, which will add 2,250 acre feet of recycled water per year to water supplies on the Monterey Peninsula, enough to serve 6,750 households. The State Water Board provided a $15 million grant for the project to help expand water capacity to benefit more than 92,000 people.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#4 Helping San Francisco manage extreme weather<\/h2>\n

In September, as a result of a $112 million low-interest loan by the state, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission completed the\u00a0new Headworks Facility<\/a>\u00a0as part of critical upgrades to San Francisco\u2019s largest wastewater treatment facility, the Southeast Treatment Plant. The new facility keeps odors within the plant and increases the plant\u2019s capacity to manage extreme weather events, benefiting 623,000 people.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#5 Improving\u00a0San Mateo\u2019s sewer systems<\/h2>\n

In September, the Estero Municipal Improvement District\u00a0completed<\/a>\u00a0a $552 million upgrade and expansion of the San Mateo Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrades increase system capacity to manage large storm events and prevent sewer system overflows that threaten public health and the San Francisco Bay. Through the project, which was supported through a $137 million low-interest state loan, 160,000 people receive improved wastewater services and greater protection from sewer system overflows.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#6 Desalinating water in Antioch<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In September, the city of Antioch\u00a0completed the Antioch Brackish Water Desalination Plant<\/a>\u00a0using a $60 million low-interest loan from the state which will help this Delta community adapt to climate change by facilitating the capture, treatment, and use of water directly from the San Joaquin River. The plant, which serves 110,000 people, can produce up to 6 million gallons of drinking water per day, or enough to sustain an amount equal to 20,000 households per year.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#7 Building drinking water sources West Lake Tahoe\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In September, the state provided the Tahoe City Public Utilities District with a $19.7 million low-interest loan and opened\u00a0the West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant<\/a>, an upgraded facility that can treat 1 million gallons of lake water per day. As a result of the project, 5,400 residents now have a permanent, drought-resilient source of drinking water and fire protection.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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#8 Connecting people to sewer systems in Yucca Valley<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In August, the Hi-Desert Water District\u00a0broke ground on a new sewage collection system<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 the second phase of a 10-year wastewater infrastructure construction of a 32-mile pipeline to the district\u2019s wastewater treatment plant. The project was funded by $103 million in grants that save individual property owners at least $30,000 in assessment costs \u2014 and will help connect approximately 5,400\u00a0 people to sewer services.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0Accelerating vital water storage projects\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

These projects are part of Governor Newsom\u2019s comprehensive strategy to accelerate California\u2019s ability to manage and store water, and works alongside the Governor\u2019s infrastructure streamlining package<\/a>\u00a0to build more faster, and California\u2019s Proposition 1 funding, dedicating $2.7 billion to improve California\u2019s water infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The Governor is also working to advance other important projects, including the Sites Reservoir Project. This project will help capture water during wet seasons and store it for use during drier seasons \u2014 holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough for 3 million households\u2019 yearly usage.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Governor continues to advance the state\u2019s Delta Conveyance Project, which is the most consequential water infrastructure project in recent California history, and will help ensure that the state can continue to provide water for\u00a0people, businesses, and farmland throughout the state<\/a>. The Delta Conveyance Project will upgrade the State Water Project, enabling California\u2019s water managers to capture and move more water during high-flow atmospheric rivers to better endure dry seasons. The tunnel, a modernization of the infrastructure system that delivers water to millions of people, would improve\u00a0California\u2019s ability to take advantage of intense periods of rain and excess flows in the Sacramento River<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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