LAKEWOOD, CA, July 9, 2009 -- The Water Replenishment District (WRD) will receive nearly $500,000 in federal stimulus funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) title XVI program for expansion of the Leo J. Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (also known as the Alamitos Barrier Recycled Water Project).
The Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (Vander Lans) currently provides 50% of the treated recycled water injected into the Alamitos Barrier to protect the groundwater aquifer against seawater intrusion.
Expansion of the Vander Lans facility will double its water recycling capacity, supplying almost one billion gallons of recycled water, offsetting the remaining costly imported water used at the Alamitos Barrier with recycled water.
"This funding will allow us to move forward with the permitting process and associated efforts to go to 100% recycled water at the Alamitos Barrier, which is an important part of our Water Independence Now (WIN) Program," stated WRD General Manager Robb Whitaker.
WRD's WIN Program is a suite of water conservation and water reuse projects that will lead southern Los Angeles County to eliminate its dependence on expensive imported water for groundwater basin replenishment.
"Our Board of Directors and constituents would like to thank the California Congressional Delegation for making these funds possible," stated WRD Board President Albert Robles. "These federal funds will allow WRD and its stakeholder to gain water independence as well as drought-proof our region," concluded Robles.
WRD's Vander Lans expansion project is one of 27 California projects to be awarded federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA/Recovery Act) for water recycling and reuse projects.
>> More information about the Leo J. Vander Land Advanced Water Treatment Facility expansion project
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