Rep. Mike Levin Delivers More Than $62 Million in New Federal Funds for Local Projects through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Oceanside, CA – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) announced that local agencies in North County San Diego and South Orange County are receiving more than $62 million in new federal funding for four local projects thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law he helped pass in 2021. The funding will facilitate the replacement of the 100-year-old San Luis Rey River Bridge and fund three other projects to address drought challenges and strengthen the region’s water independence. Rep. Levin advocated for all four projects to receive funding from the infrastructure law and shared a video from the San Luis Rey River Bridge earlier this year where he highlighted how important it was for this project to receive funding from the law.
The San Diego Association of Governments will receive $27.3 million to replace the 100-year-old San Luis Rey River Bridge; the City of Oceanside will receive $9.94 million for the Pure Water Oceanside Program; the Olivenhain Municipal Water District will receive $17.83 million for the North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition Regional Recycled Water Program; and the Santa Margarita Water District will receive $7.93 million for the San Juan Watershed Project.
“I was proud to help pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because I knew it would deliver desperately-needed investments in our local infrastructure priorities, and I am excited to see that coming to fruition,” said Rep. Levin. “Federal funding for the San Luis Rey River Bridge replacement will support economic activity and improve experiences for both passengers and pedestrians in the surrounding community. Investments in local water projects are also critical as we face increasingly devastating drought that requires us to diversify our water supply and strengthen our local water independence. Taken together, these investments are going to significantly improve the quality of life for everyone in the region and I am proud to see this progress happening as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
“Replacing the aging San Luis Rey River Bridge is vital to improving safety, speed, and wait times up and down the LOSSAN corridor,” said SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear. “We are grateful to Congressman Levin for his continued leadership in securing this critical funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure the second busiest rail line in the nation is sustainable now and for generations to come.”
“Water is such a vital resource and this funding allows us to continue to develop projects that help improve our local supply,” said Oceanside Mayor Sanchez. “Congressman Mike Levin's invaluable advocacy for Pure Water Oceanside puts us one step closer to achieving the goal of greater water independence for our city, residents, and businesses. Thank you Congressman Levin!"
“California is not going to be able to navigate another historic drought if we don’t develop new water supplies,” said Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board President Larry Watt. “In fact, the number one priority in the California Water Supply Strategy document that Governor Newsom recently released is to create new water recycling projects. This financial support from the Bureau of Reclamation is instrumental for us to be able to develop these new supplies and achieve statewide goals.”
“We are so grateful to Congressman Levin for his assistance in securing these funds,” said Santa Margarita Water District General Manager, Dan Ferons. “These funds will go a long way toward reducing our dependence on imported potable water and moving us to long-term sustainability for our customers.”
San Luis Rey River Bridge project: The project replaces the 100-year-old San Luis Rey River Bridge with a double-track concrete bridge and eliminates a 0.6-mile single-track bottleneck in the City of Oceanside. Additional improvements will be made to an adjacent bike path, a pedestrian underpass, a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approved Quiet Zone at-grade crossing, and grading, drainage, and signals. These improvements will bring rail infrastructure used heavily by Amtrak, Metrolink commuter services, and BNSF freight trains into a state of good repair while reducing delays, increasing speeds, and shortening trip times. (U.S. Department of Transportation)
Pure Water Oceanside Program: Pure Water Oceanside will purify recycled water to create a new, local source of high-quality drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. The program will produce enough water to provide more than 30% of the city's water supply. (City of Oceanside)
North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition Regional Recycled Water Program: The Regional Recycled Water Project is a joint effort of the nine NSDWRC member agencies that seeks to maximize water reuse in the Project Area by creating a regional water reuse system. Water reuse includes recycled water for non-potable purposes, as well as advanced treated water for potable reuse. The project consists of development of regional recycled water infrastructure that includes interagency connections to increase the capacity and connectivity of the recycled water storage and distribution systems of the Coalition. (North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition)
San Juan Watershed Project: The San Juan Watershed Project is a multi-phase project that will enhance water reliability for our community by capturing local stormwater runoff as well as directing recycled water into temporary storage and using it to recharge our underground aquifer. When completed, the San Juan Watershed Project will be able to provide the community with about 5.6 billion gallons of additional local, reliable water. That’s enough water for 50,000 families each year. (Santa Margarita Water District)
###