In Honor of Fix a Leak Week, DWR’s Go Golden Initiative Celebrates Partnerships to Repair Aging Water Infrastructure

Household leaks waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water nationwide every year, enough to provide water to over 11 million homes. During Fix a Leak Week (March 18 to March 24), the Department of Water Resources (DWR) encourages everyone to find and fix leaks inside and outside their home to save water.

Leaks are not just a household problem – parts of California’s water delivery infrastructure are aging and developing leaks too. This aging infrastructure can cause significant water loss and hinder our ability to deliver water efficiently. DWR is committed to repairing them to maintain our infrastructure and protect California’s valuable water supplies for future generations.

“With our climate continuing to get hotter and drier, DWR is committed to doing our part to ensure leaks are not contributing to losses of California’s valuable water supplies,” said Margaret Mohr, DWR deputy director of communications. “We are partnering with local water agencies to replace tens of thousands of feet of leaky pipelines and storage tanks so that their residents have access to a reliable and consistent supply of water. Repairing leaks is one-way that households – and state water managers – can increase local water supplies and help communities withstand climate-change-fueled extreme weather.”

Here are some of the leak-fixing projects we are funding with local partners across the state:

• In Humboldt County, a $5 million grant to the City of Trinidad will replace approximately 7,500 feet of water mains and the existing water storage tank with a new 300,000-gallon tank. Trinidad is losing 25 percent of its water supply due to leaks – this award funds the repair of those leaks and secures the water supply for the community.
• In Shasta County, a $2.7 million to Shasta Community Service Agency will build a new storage tank and replace the current water distribution system. The small, rural agency is losing 80 percent of its water to leaky pipelines, and with drought drying up their groundwater and surface water supplies, this project will increase water supply to the disadvantaged community of Sugarloaf.
• In Fresno County, $7.7 million grant to the City of Orange Cove will replace four miles of aging pipelines and construct a new well, storage tank, and booster pump station. These repairs will bolster water supplies for nearly 10,000 people.
• In Marin County, $6.4 million grant to Marin Municipal Water District to replace more than 24,000 feet of leaky pipes and 197 service laterals that connect the water main pipeline to the service meter and customer-owned pipes.

These grants are just some of many featured as part of DWR’s Go Golden Initiative, which highlights partnerships between the State of California and local organizations and water agencies to fund bold and innovative projects that support water infrastructure and resilience. Interested parties can stay up to date with the latest “Go Golden” announcements and news through DWR’s email subscription list.

For more information about upcoming grant opportunities, visit DWR’s  Grants and Loans webpage.