March 2017 Vol. 72 No. 3
Newsline
EPA Invests $95 Million In California Wastewater Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $95 million in new funding to California for improvements in local wastewater infrastructure, including upgrades to the city of Holtville’s 850,000-gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant, serving 6,954 residents, to comply with water quality standards and protect the Salton Sea into which it discharges.
The city is paying for the $14.4 million project with approximately $7.5 million from the State Revolving Loan program plus $6.9 million from the EPA’s Border Environment Infrastructure Fund.
“EPA is committed to helping communities across Imperial Valley protect the state’s vital water resources,” said Tomás Torres, water division director, EPA-Pacific Southwest. “Our investments renew aging infrastructure, which can be costly for smaller communities like Holtville.”
California may also allocate some of the loan funds for the water recycling facility at the Padre Dam Municipal Water District in Santee. The district is on track to receive a $101.2 million loan to expand the water recycling facility from two to six million gallons a day, decreasing the demand on potable water supplies.
Since its inception in 1988, the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund has been awarded more than $3 billion in federal funding. As loans are repaid and new state and federal dollars are added, the fund grows and continues to provide low interest loans and subsidies for projects. Without the loan program, many communities would incur greater debt or delay needed water quality projects.
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