Funds will support EMWD water reclamation program

Press release from the Eastern Municipal Water District:

PERRIS -- Eastern Municipal Water District has received a significant financial investment from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to support its Purified Water Replenishment program through the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden.

EMWD, which has long been one of the nation’s leading agencies in securing state and federal grants, received a $10 million appropriation for its planned project in San Jacinto.

For its Purified Water Replenishment (PWR) program, EMWD will construct an advance treatment facility adjacent to its existing San Jacinto Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The new facility will further treat recycled water through microfiltration and reverse osmosis, resulting in a purified water source.

That water will then be piped to EMWD’s Mountain Avenue West Groundwater Replenishment Facility, where it will percolate into the local groundwater basin. After at least five years of natural soil aquifer filtration underground and blending with groundwater, the water will be pumped out, disinfected one final time, then used as a safe and reliable drinking water source.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the Bureau of Reclamation’s support of our Purified Water Replenishment program through this funding opportunity,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “EMWD is proud to successfully bring taxpayer funds back into our service area to benefit our ratepayers and our region’s water supply future.” USBR announced the allocation of $310 million in funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates a total of $8.3 billion for USBR water infrastructure projects, including $1 billion in WaterSMART recycling and reuse grants.

EMWD is in the design stage of its PWR program and is anticipated to begin construction of the facility in 2023.