$24.2 Million Awarded in Grant Funding for Water Desalination Projects
Photo of the production well that supports the C. Marvin Brewer Desalter Facility, Los Angeles County.
DWR announced $24.2 million in grant funding for desalination projects that will construct wells and facilities to increase water quality, supply, and infrastructure in California communities. This is the third group of Water Desalination Grant Program awards, as part of the Continuous Application Process (CAP).
Funding for these projects is made possible by voter-approved Proposition 1, which provides grants to local agencies for the planning, design, and construction of potable water desalination facilities for both brackish and ocean water. Water desalination involves the removal of salts and dissolved solids from saline water, which serves as an alternative water source and buffer against drought conditions.
The $24.2 million in funding is going to three different projects to construct potable water desalination facilities for both ocean water and brackish groundwater sources:
- The Southern California Edison Company received $10 million in grant funding for a salt water well, desalination facility, storage and distribution system to provide additional drinking water and improve water supply reliability for the City of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in the California Channel Islands.
- The City of Santa Monica received $10 million in grant funding for the Closed-Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) project, to reduce concentrate waste discharge and increase the overall production efficiency and treatment capacity of the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant.
- The West Basin Municipal Water District in Los Angeles County received $4.2 million in grant funding for the C. Marvin Brewer Desalter Facility Improvements project to provide additional local drinking water supply.
These grant awards complete the Continuous Application Process as all Proposition 1 funds for the Water Desalination Grant Program have been committed. For more information, visit the Water Desalination Grant Programpage or contact Sean Sou at 916-651-9269 or Sean.Sou@water.ca.gov.