Perris, CA (December 27, 2022) — Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) has received an additional $17.5 million in funding from the United States Bureau of Reclamation to advance its Purified Water Replenishment (PWR) program.

The new funding authorization, which is part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, brings the total federal funding for the project to $27.5 million, making it the largest federal grant funding total EMWD has received for a single project.

EMWD was previously awarded $10 million in funding for the program in August 2022 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

For its PWR program, EMWD will construct an advance treatment facility adjacent to its existing San Jacinto Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The new facility will further treat recycled water through microfiltration and reverse osmosis, resulting in purified water.

That water will then be blended with tertiary recycled water and piped to EMWD’s Mountain Avenue West Groundwater Replenishment Facility, where it will percolate into the local groundwater basin. After at least five years of natural soil aquifer filtration underground and blending with groundwater, the water will be pumped out, cleaned one final time, then used as a safe and reliable drinking water source.

The program will increase the quality and quantity of EMWD’s groundwater supplies.

EMWD is in the design phase of the PWR program and has received a broad range of support from the program from key stakeholders and the public. In October 2022, EMWD hosted a Purified Water Replenishment Open House, where the community was invited to learn more about the program. EMWD also has detailed information available at www.emwd.org/GWRplus.

EMWD has been one of the nation’s most successful water agencies in securing federal, state and local grant funding to provide a more reliable water, wastewater and recycled water infrastructure for its customers.

“EMWD would like to thank the Bureau of Reclamation for its support of this program,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “EMWD works hard to bring our customers tax dollars back into their community, and this funding is an example of those efforts. We are looking forward to advancing this important effort, and this funding will play a major role advancing this program.”

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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 558-square mile service area in western Riverside 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.