Rep. Mike Levin Secures Over $32 Million for Water Security Projects in Southern California
Oceanside, CA – Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) announced that he secured $32.2 million in federal funding for three critical water desalination projects to increase water security in North County San Diego and South Orange County. These projects, aimed at enhancing local water infrastructure and sustainability, will significantly benefit communities in the region by providing reliable sources of potable water and reducing dependency on imported water.
“I am thrilled that our region will receive this critical funding to support our water infrastructure,” said Rep. Mike Levin. “In the face of threats from climate change, these projects are essential for ensuring a sustainable and resilient water supply for our communities. By investing in innovative solutions like groundwater purification and desalination, we are taking significant steps toward protecting our water resources for future generations.”
The three projects include:
- $19,393,750 for the San Diego County Water Authority, Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Intake Permanent Upgrade Project: This project will enhance current operations by improving the existing seawater intake system to secure local reliable water supply for the region, providing environmental enhancements and reducing the region’s demand for imported water.
- $7,749,500 for the South Coast Water District, Doheny Ocean Desalination Project: The project will create a drought resistant and reliable source of potable drinking water for the region, reduce dependence on imported water, and provide for an emergency water supply in the event of a natural disaster or disruption of service to imported water.
- $5,285,714 for the City of Oceanside, Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility Well Expansion and Brine Minimization: This funding will increase the Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility’s capacity to extract and treat brackish groundwater from Mission Basin. This will enable the city to increase the amount of drinking water produced and decrease the city’s reliance on imported water while also reducing the volume of brine discharged to the Pacific Ocean.
The funds are allocated through the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Grants for Desalination Construction Projects and comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These grants provide financial assistance to water managers for projects that seek to conserve and use water more efficiently, implement renewable energy, investigate and develop water marketing strategies, mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict, and contribute to sustainability in the western United States.
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