Boaters head into a finger of Lake Shasta in Redding, California on June 19, 2021, when water levels reached historic lows in many of California's reservoirs. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Interior announced a $125 million investment to create new recycled sources of water in California and Utah to help both states mitigate ongoing droughts. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The Department of Interior announced Monday that it will invest $125 million to create new recycled sources of water in California and Utah to help both states mitigate ongoing droughts.
The funding -- which comes from President Joe Biden's Investing in America -- will support the Interior Department's new Large-Scale Water Recycling Program, which was launched in 2023. The program will help five communities recycle water supplies by turning unusable water sources into clean, reliable ones.
"The president's Investing in America agenda is making transformational investments in climate resilience in communities across America," said Interior Secretary Deb Harland. "Through the Large-Scale Water Recycling program, the department is ensuring that communities in the West have the resources they need to safeguard water supplies and ensure this precious resource is available for generations to come."
The five projects selected for funding include $60.4 million for the city of San Buenaventura's Ventura Water Program, which is estimated to produce 3,600 acre-feet of recycled water every year.
The Los Angeles Groundwater Replenishment Project will receive $30 million to produce 26,000 acre-feet of recycled water.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Pure Water Southern California project is expected to produce 118,590 acre-feet annually with an investment of $26.2 million.
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency of California Advanced Treatment of Recycled Water to Enhance Chino Basin Resiliency Project will receive $10.8 million to produce 15,000 acre-feet of recycled water every year.
And Washington County Water Conservancy District for Utah's Regional Reuse System will receive $641,222 to produce more than 28,000 acre-feet of recycled water.
A total of $8.3 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be spent over the next five years on water infrastructure projects to include water storage, conservation, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination.
"This effort to diversify our tools by taking previously unusable water sources and turning them into new supplies will be instrumental in managing through drought," said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton.
"These historic investments are allowing these communities to build and expand infrastructure to recycle large amounts of water to meet growing needs."
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