More than $450,000 will help pay for recycled water projects in Corona and Riverside
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In the midst of the current drought announcement from Governor Jerry Brown, Western Municipal Water District continues to look for ways to develop local water projects. Western’s Board has approved the use of $468,199, from dissolved Redevelopment Agencies (RDA) within the District’s boundaries, to expand its retail recycled water system, help City of Corona customers convert landscape uses from potable water to recycled water, and increase efficiencies at older March Air Reserve Base housing through metering.
“After careful evaluation and discussion, we agreed that the RDA proceeds are best suited for recycled water expansion projects in Corona and connecting Meridian’s businesses to our recycled water pipeline on the other side of Van Buren Boulevard,” said Board President Brenda Dennstedt. She added, “Increasing our capacity to use recycled water saves precious drinking water for indoor use, and therefore, helps Western secure the region’s water supply.”
Western received revenue for these projects as a consequence of the RDA dissolution via the Low to Moderate Income Housing Fund (LMIHF) proceeds and the result of tax levies in place since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. At the request of the Board of Directors, Western developed and utilized criteria for evaluating potential projects:
• Consistent with Western’s mission
• Promotes the efficient use of water
• Provides on-going benefit (as opposed to a one-time benefit)
• Used for Western’s projects or co-sponsored projects.
Western’s recycled water distribution system throughout March JPA’s Meridian Business Center currently uses drinking water for irrigation. The money will fund construction to extend a pipeline connecting the business center’s system to Western’s main recycled water system, located just south of Van Buren Boulevard and provide recycled water for irrigation. This will save an estimated 130 acre-feet (AF) of drinking water per year; enough to supply 260 households annually.
In Corona, in partnership with the City of Corona Department of Water & Power, selected landscape sites will be converted from potable water to recycled water for irrigation. The funding will help with necessary improvements to enable on-site conversions. Various school sites may also be considered. Since 2007, Corona’s new recycled water distribution has saved an estimated 19,000 AF of water, which is equivalent to the amount of water used by roughly 40,000 households per year.
In addition to recycled water expansion, a portion of the funds will be used to install meters at Green Acres, a community of residential homes adjacent to the former March Air Base. The site is currently master-metered with March Air Reserve Base. Isolating the water use at the residential community will allow Western to help the residents increase water use efficiency.
Western Municipal Water District provides water supply, wastewater disposal and water resource management to the public in a safe, reliable, environmentally sensitive and financially responsible manner.
