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Congress Passes Bill That Could Fund Bay Area Recycled Water Projects

Santa Clara County (Vocus) April 30, 2008 -- The House of Representatives today passed a water resources bill, paving the way for federal funding for seven Bay Area recycled water projects, including two in which the Santa Clara Valley Water District (http://www.valleywater.org/) is a partner. The bill has already passed the senate.

The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (S 2739), which is expected to be signed by President George W. Bush, authorizes the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to participate in seven Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program projects. Under this bill, each project will receive 25 percent of the construction cost. The two Valley Water partnered projects could receive an estimated $15.25 million in federal funding.

These include the South Santa Clara County Recycled Water Project, a joint effort between Valley Water and the South County Regional Wastewater Authority. This project would provide recycled water to golf courses, parks and industrial users within the City of Gilroy.

Another project that could benefit from the passage of the bill is the South Bay Advanced Recycled Water Treatment Facility that would supply recycled water for landscape irrigation, including sensitive environs like redwood trees. The project is a partnership between Valley Water and the cities of San José, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Campbell, Monte Sereno, Milpitas and Saratoga.

The other Bay Area projects that are authorized to receive funding are:

? Pacifica Recycled Water Project (North Coast County Water District)

? Antioch Recycled Water Project (Delta Diablo Sanitation District, City of Antioch)

? Mountain View/ Moffett Area Water Reuse Project (City of Palo Alto, City of Mountain View)

? Pittsburg Recycled Water Project (Delta Diablo Sanitation District, City of Pittsburg)

? Redwood City Recycled Water Project

These water recycling projects are estimated to make 12,205 acre-feet of water available annually in the short term, and 37,600 acre-feet available annually in the long term. The projects have been shown to be economically feasible and provide significant environmental benefits to the San Francisco Bay Delta as well as help relieve statewide water resource shortfalls.

The passage of the bill is good news for the 17 Bay Area cities and water and wastewater agencies? that took a unique regional approach to attract federal funding for recycled water projects. Rather than individual agencies going to Congress asking for individual project requests, the group has formed a coalition through the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) to seek assistance on a regional level.

According to a BACWA report, recycled water projects in the Bay Area provide a drought resistant local water supply under local control. Using recycled water for industries such as power plants, and for landscape irrigation, frees up high-quality potable water for other uses. Most importantly, the water supply that recycled water provides doesn?t depend on weather or climate.

Also included in the passage of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (S 2739) is the Bureau of Reclamation Site Security Costs Act of 2007. This section of the bill will change the formula for how security costs at dams operated by the Bureau are paid. The bureau is a major supplier of water and electric power across much of the western United States, and the cost of security has increased since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Currently, water and power users pay for security guards and the federal government pays for capital improvements such as fences and barricades. The bill would cap security costs to consumers at the current rate of $18.9 million a year, indexed to inflation.

For more information, contact Susan Siravo at (408) 265-2607, ext. 2290.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages wholesale drinking water resources and provides stewardship for the county's watersheds, including 10 reservoirs, hundreds of miles of streams and groundwater basins. Valley Water also provides flood protection throughout Santa Clara County.

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