New water projects receive $28.97M federal cash boost to improve water reliability in the West

Nov. 07, 2023

The Bureau of Reclamation has announced it will provide $28.97 million in financial aid for 31 potential new water reuse and desalination projects to help create new water supply sources less vulnerable to drought and climate change. The funding will help prepare feasibility studies and undertake planning efforts such as preliminary project design and environmental compliance activities.

In a press release, Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo commented: “These projects currently under development will supplement existing freshwater supplies in urban and agricultural areas in the Western United States.”

Funding for these planning and design activities is intended to assist in developing potential new construction projects that could be carried out under the Desalination Construction Program, the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program, and the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program.

This financial support is part of $1 billion in WaterSMART grants funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support collaborative efforts to plan and implement actions to increase water supply reliability, including investments to modernize infrastructure.

Of the 31 projects selected, Brown and Caldwell assisted clients in identifying funding mechanisms and developing successful grant applications for the following projects:

City of Boise Recycled Water Program – funding: $1M

The City of Boise, Idaho, will develop a feasibility study as well as other planning, preliminary design, and environmental compliance activities for the City of Boise Recycled Water Program.

Mesa Water District, Local Groundwater Supply Improvement Project – funding: $250,000

Mesa Water District (Mesa Water®), located in Costa Mesa, California, and the only water district in Orange County to provide 100% local water, will conduct a feasibility study for a potential new brackish groundwater desalination facility that would enhance water supply in the region.

Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Jose-Santa Clara Purified Water Program Feasibility Study – funding: $381,249

The Santa Clara Valley Water District, located near San Jose, California, will assess the feasibility of constructing a new advanced water purification facility in San Jose for potable reuse through groundwater recharge, raw water augmentation, and/or treated water augmentation.

Santa Clara Valley Water District, South County Water Reuse Program Feasibility Study – funding: $299,180

​​​​​​​The Santa Clara Valley Water District will assess the feasibility of implementing several treatment and pipeline reuse projects that were identified in the South County Recycled Water Master Plan.

“Water recycling and diversifying local water supply portfolios is essential in stretching the Western United States’ limited supplies,” said Brown and Caldwell Senior Director of Strategic Funding Seema Chavan. “We congratulate the City of Boise, Mesa Water, and Santa Clara Valley Water District for their proactive steps in supplementing existing fresh water supplies and working toward securing a resilient water future for their communities.”

About Brown and Caldwell

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, Brown and Caldwell is a full-service environmental engineering and construction services firm with 52 offices and over 1,900 professionals across North America and the Pacific. For more than 75 years, our creative solutions have helped municipalities, private industry, and government agencies successfully overcome their most challenging water and environmental obstacles. As an employee-owned company, Brown and Caldwell are passionate about exceeding our client’s expectations and making a difference for our employees, our communities, and our environment.

For more information, visit www.brownandcaldwell.com