WASHINGTON, DC, July 1, 2014 -- Bureau of Reclamation Acting Commissioner Lowell Pimley recently announced that the Bureau will provide $1.29 million to nine projects located in California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, for Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Feasibility Studies.
Pimley indicated that this funding will help communities gather critical information in assessing whether certain water recycling and reuse projects can better meet their future water needs.
The first funding group will receive up to $150,000, and studies must be completed within 18 months. The six selected projects in this group are:
- Pitkin County Clean Water Effluent Re-Use Feasibility Study (Pitkin County, Colorado), $149,500
- Providing for Santa Fe Basin's Future Water Supply Needs: A Feasibility Study to Optimize the Use of Regional Reclaimed Wastewater (City of Santa Fe, New Mexico), $132,000
- Port Isabel Water Reclamation Facility (Laguna Madre Water District, Texas), $150,000
- Feasibility Study of Augmenting Regional Water Supply System for Tarrant Regional Water District and Wichita Falls with Impaired Groundwater Supplies (Tarrant Regional Water District, Texas), $150,000
- Feasibility Study of Industrial Water Management and Reclamation for the Permian Basin (Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority, Texas), $150,000
- Collection, Storage, Recharge and Recovery of Conserved Source Waters for Advanced Purified Treatment of Reclaimed Water (El Paso Water Utilities-Public Service Board, Texas), $150,000
The second funding group will receive up to $450,000 (up to $150,000 per year), and studies must be completed within 36 months. The three selected projects in this group are:
- San Juan Groundwater Basin Recharge, Reclamation and Reuse Feasibility Study (Santa Margarita Water District, California), $225,000
- Indirect Potable Reuse Project Feasibility Study (Eastern Municipal Water District, California), $450,000
- The Integrated Water and Power Project: A Drought-Proof Water Supply for Texas (Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, Texas), $450,000
Applicants must provide at least 50 percent non-federal cost-shared funding for the feasibility study. To view a complete description of all the projects, visit: http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/title.
See also:
"WaterSMART funding available for entities seeking to establish, expand watershed groups"
"Reclamation seeks proposals through desalination research funding opportunity"
About the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program
The Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program focuses on identifying and investigating opportunities to reclaim and reuse wastewater and naturally-impaired ground and surface water in the 17 Western states and Hawaii. It has the potential to provide communities with a new source of clean water while promoting water and energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Through Title XVI projects, Reclamation has conserved nearly 390,000 acre-feet of water in 2013 -- enough to supply 1.5 million people with water for one year. For more information, visit www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/title.
About WaterSMART
WaterSMART is the U.S. Department of the Interior's sustainable water initiative that uses the best available science to improve water conservation and help water resource managers identify strategies to narrow the gap between supply and demand. Since its establishment in 2010, WaterSMART has provided about $200 million in competitively awarded funding to non-federal partners, including tribes, water districts, municipalities and universities through WaterSMART Grants and the Title XVI Program. For more information, visit http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART.
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