EMWD receives $8M for trio of key projects
In California, the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) received notice that approximately $8 million in federal funding is being advanced to support a trio of critical infrastructure projects that will improve groundwater quality and supply, and provide safe and reliable wastewater service throughout its service area.
The Fiscal Year 2023 Interior-EPA Appropriations Bill will help fund those projects through the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) State and Tribal Assistance Grants Program.
The funding and programs were as follows:
- PFAS Remediation: EMWD received $3.45 million in funding for its Well 56 PFAS removal program. EMWD’s Well 56 has been offline due to PFAS in the groundwater, and this project will support the construction of a treatment facility that will remove the contamination and restore the well to service, further expanding EMWD’s ability to rely on local groundwater supplies, especially during the drought.
- Temecula Valley Wine Country Sewer: $2 million in funding will support the construction of Phase 2 of EMWD’s Wine Country Sewer Project, which will expand wastewater infrastructure and protect groundwater quality as Temecula Valley’s Wine Country continues to see significant growth.
- Quail Valley Septic to Sewer Conversion: $2.5 million in funding will support the next phase of the Quail Valley Septic to Sewer project. Failing septic systems in the economically disadvantaged community in Menifee have resulted in public health risks and groundwater contamination. This project will convert those failing systems to a modernized wastewater collection system.
EMWD worked closely with each of the Congressional representatives and their staffs to identify project needs and to demonstrate the importance of the funding in advancing the needed infrastructure.
“EMWD has been one of the country’s most successful agencies in securing external funding and responsibly putting it toward projects that directly benefit our customers,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “EMWD is proud of its ongoing efforts to bring our customers’ tax dollars back into their own communities for their benefit, and we look forward to the successes of each of these projects and thank our Members of Congress for their continued partnership.”