From left to right: Joshua Aguilar, Paul Rugge, Derek Kawaii, Tim Barr, Craig Miller, Director Fauzia Rizvi, Director Laura Roughton, Director Brenda Dennstedt, Director Mike Gardner, Congressman Mark Takano, Jamil Dada, Grace Martin, & Nick Adcock, turn shovels during the WWRF Sewer Force Main Groundbreaking.

$13 million federal defense grant helps replace aging infrastructure serving the military installation and the surrounding community

Western Municipal Water District (Western Water) officially broke ground on the March Air Reserve Base Sewer Force Main Replacement Project on March 12, launching construction on a major infrastructure upgrade designed to strengthen wastewater reliability for March Air Reserve Base and surrounding communities.

The project will replace nearly four miles of aging sewer pipeline and is supported by a $13.1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of War Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), awarded through the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program.

“This project reflects our commitment to protecting critical infrastructure that serves both our military partners and our community,” said Laura Roughton, Board President of Western Water. “Investing in reliable wastewater systems supports public health, environmental protection, and the long-term resiliency of the region.”

The existing sewer force main serving the base was installed decades ago. In 2015, the pipeline experienced a significant failure, forcing wastewater flows to be diverted to a smaller line that was never intended to support the base in the long term.

Recognizing the need for a permanent solution, Western Water pursued federal funding through the Department of War infrastructure program. After multiple application cycles and years of collaboration with federal partners, the agency secured funding to move the project forward. The new sewer force main is expected to be completed by 2027. It will improve system capacity, increase operational efficiency, reduce pumping demands, and strengthen overall system resiliency. Once completed, the upgraded system will support more than 10,000 military and civilian personnel assigned to March Air Reserve Base.

“Reliable infrastructure plays an important role in supporting military readiness and the communities that host these installations,” said Craig Miller, General Manager of Western Water. “This investment strengthens the systems that serve both the base and the surrounding region.”

Congressman Mark Takano, who represents California’s 39th Congressional District and grew up in the region, highlighted the importance of investing in the essential infrastructure that supports both the base and the surrounding community.

“Projects like this sewer force main replacement may not be flashy or glamorous, but they are essential,” Takano said. “I grew up in this region, and March Air Reserve Base has always been an important part of our community. The systems you never see are often the ones that matter most.” 

Leaders connected to the installation emphasized the importance of modernizing the infrastructure that supports the base’s long-term mission.

“March Air Reserve Base is grateful for what Western Water has done here,” said Jamil Dada, Chair of the Military Affairs Council. “One of the biggest problems we face is aging utilities and infrastructure. That’s a challenge for us and for the base. March Air Reserve Base has a new life ahead of it, and we want to make sure the infrastructure supporting the base is updated and ready for the future.”

Regional business leaders also highlighted the installation’s economic impact across Inland Southern California.

“About 16 years ago, an economic impact report estimated that March Air Reserve Base generated roughly $600 million in economic activity for our region,” said Nicholas Adcock, President and CEO of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. “The people who work at March Air Reserve Base live here, they patronize our businesses, and they are a part of this community. Projects like this matter because the base is strategically important not just to our region but to our national security. To have the power turn on when it needs to, to have the water turn on when it needs to, all of those things are essential.”

Ceremonial shovels mark the groundbreaking of the Western Water Recycling Facility (WWRF) Sewer Force Main Project.

The project represents an $18.7 million infrastructure investment, with the federal grant covering nearly 75% of the total project cost. 

OLDCC’s Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program was launched in 2020 to support communities that host military installations by investing in infrastructure that supports military readiness and surrounding communities. Since the program began, more than 75 projects nationwide have received funding, representing nearly $400 million in federal investment supporting more than $650 million in total infrastructure improvements. In 2024, only 14 projects nationwide were selected for funding, including two in California.

March Air Reserve Base remains one of Riverside County’s most important military installations and a major economic driver for the region. Infrastructure investments, such as the March Air Reserve Base Sewer Force Main Replacement, help ensure the systems supporting the installation remain reliable for decades to come.