RIVERSIDE, CA, Feb. 27, 2014 -- Amid California's current drought, Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) continues to seek ways to develop local water projects.
WMWD's Board has approved the use of $468,199, from dissolved Redevelopment Agencies (RDA) within its boundaries, to expand its retail recycled water system, help Corona-city customers convert landscape uses from potable water to recycled water, and increase efficiencies at older March Air Reserve Base housing through metering.
"After careful evaluation and discussion, we agreed that the RDA proceeds are best suited for recycled water expansion projects in Corona and connecting Meridian's businesses to our recycled water pipeline on the other side of Van Buren Boulevard," said Board President Brenda Dennstedt. "Increasing our capacity to use recycled water saves precious drinking water for indoor use, and therefore, helps Western secure the region's water supply."
WMWD received revenue for these projects as a consequence of the RDA dissolution via the Low to Moderate Income Housing Fund (LMIHF) proceeds and the result of tax levies in place since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. At the request of the Board, WMWD developed and utilized criteria for evaluating potential projects that are consistent with its mission, promotes the efficient use of water, provides ongoing benefit (as opposed to a one-time benefit), and is used for its projects or co-sponsored projects.
WMWD's recycled water distribution system throughout March JPA's Meridian Business Center currently uses drinking water for irrigation. The money will fund construction to extend a pipeline connecting the business center's system to WMWD's main recycled water system, located just south of Van Buren Boulevard, and provide recycled water for irrigation. This will save an estimated 130 acre-feet (AF) of drinking water per year -- enough to supply 260 households annually.
In Corona, in partnership with the City of Corona Department of Water & Power, selected landscape sites will be converted from potable water to recycled water for irrigation. The funding will help with necessary improvements to enable on-site conversions. Various school sites may also be considered. Since 2007, Corona's new recycled water distribution has saved an estimated 19,000 AF of water, which is equivalent to the amount of water used by roughly 40,000 households per year.
In addition to recycled water expansion, a portion of the funds will be used to install meters at Green Acres, a community of residential homes adjacent to the former March Air Base. The site is currently master-metered with March Air Reserve Base. Isolating the water use at the residential community will allow MWMD to help the residents increase water-use efficiency.
About WMWD
Western Municipal Water District was formed in 1954, and today provides reliable water and wastewater services to retail customers and wholesale agencies from Corona to Temecula. As a member agency of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the state’s largest water supplier, Western receives most of its water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta and from the Colorado River. For more information, visit www.wmwd.com.
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