May 20, 2015

The Department of the Interior announced on May 20 that $50 million from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART grants will be sent to 12 drought-stricken states for water reclamation and reuse facilities, recycling and desalination programs, and water and energy infrastructure and efficiency initiatives. $24 million will be sent to Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington; a full $23 million will be sent to program efforts solely in California.

Reclamation and reuse facilities and research in California were awarded the majority of grants; $5.2 million will go to the Sweetwater Authority Water Reclamation Project in San Diego County and $5 million to the South Bay Water Recycling Program in Santa Clara County. Funds will also pay for 20 miles of new recycled water pipelines, new storage reservoirs, and reliability improvements at transmission pump stations in California.

Additional funds will pay for a $900,000 4.8-megwatt hydroelectric plant in Colorado and will provide $1 million to help build a water reuse facility and conveyance pipeline project in Washington.

The federal funds provided by the Bureau of Reclamation will be matched by nonfederal players for a total of $133 million towards drought mitigation initiatives in the West.

Source: E&E News