EMWD Recognized for Community Partnerships to Advance Water Sustainability

Perris, CA (May 21, 2025) – For many years, Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) heard a familiar refrain from large landscape customers in the French Valley area: We really wish we could use recycled water instead of potable water.

There was just one problem: French Valley’s infrastructure hadn’t kept pace with its rapid and uneven growth over the past two decades.

Thankfully, EMWD had a solution – and just as importantly, it had partners equally committed to bringing a sustainable water supply source to the area’s parks, schools, and streetscapes. 

EMWD was recognized this week with the One Water Award by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) for its efforts to expand recycled water service in French Valley. It was one of four organizations across Metropolitan’s 5,500-square mile service area who were honored for their commitment to water saving projects that showcased technological innovation, environmental stewardship, and sustainability. EMWD was honored in the collaboration category.

The French Valley Recycle Water Project was an EMWD-led partnership that also included Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD), Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District (Valley-Wide), and Metropolitan. The French Valley area was historically unable to benefit from recycled water use for public landscaping because of a lack of available service, gaps in infrastructure, and existing development.

To resolve the issue, EMWD constructed a new recycled water pump station, storage tank, and 8,400 linear feet of pipeline as part of its Recycled Water Stabilization Program. It also advanced the French Valley Distribution Expansion Project, which added another 14,000 feet of pipeline. The development community installed another 12,000 feet of recycled water pipeline when newer areas of the community were under construction.

TVUSD and Valley-Wide requested assistance with the up-front capital investment needed to retrofit existing sites from potable to recycled water. EMWD provided the funding through its Recycled Water Accelerated Retrofit Program, which is reimbursed through a specialized rate that is above the normal price for recycled water but below the cost of potable water.

Metropolitan provided funding to help retrofit existing landscapes to recycled water, replace 114,000 square feet of nonfunctional turf with climate-appropriate landscaping, and for the installation of new irrigation controllers. The project offset the potable water use equivalent to 1,700 residences per year and delivered immediate cost-savings to the partner agencies.

“EMWD and our partners want to thank Metropolitan for this incredible honor,” EMWD Board President Stephen Corona said. “This project was not just about saving water, but about the power of multiple agencies working together to benefit a community.”

The project was honored earlier this year by the WateReuse Association with its Award for Excellence. Other recipients of the 2025 One Water Award are Vallecitos Water District (Environmental Impact), the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (Community Responsibility), and the American Legion Hollywood Post 43 (Leadership).

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Eastern Municipal Water District is the water, wastewater service and recycled water provider to nearly one million people living and working within a 682-square mile service area in western Riverside County and northern San Diego County. It is California’s sixth-largest retail water agency, and its mission is “To deliver value to our diverse customers and the communities we serve by providing safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water services.” More information can be found at www.emwd.org.