Biden Administration Allocates $310 Million in Funding for Water Reuse Projects as Drought Grips Much of US
The Biden administration announced on Aug. 18 that nearly $310 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is being allocated to help aid water reuse projects across the country as drought conditions worsen.
The announcement comes following Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton’s two-day tour through central and southern California, which included a visit to the Syphon Reservoir Improvement Project at the Irvine Ranch Water District.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Interior, approximately $309.8 million in funding from President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law, which was passed in November last year, will go toward the planning, design, and construction of the water reuse projects. That bill allocated $8.3 billion to the Bureau of Reclamation for water infrastructure projects.
An additional $1 million in “appropriated funding” will also go toward the projects, according to the press release.
“The selected projects will advance drought resilience and are expected to increase annual capacity by about 213,000 acre-feet of water, enough water to support more than 850,000 people a year,” the Department of Interior said.
During their two-day visit to central and southern California, Haaland and Touton highlighted “how investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help address the worsening drought crisis and expand access to clean drinking water for families, farmers, and wildlife,” the press release states.
California is currently in the midst of a strong drought and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) last week warned that the state may lose 10 percent of its water supply by 2040 due to intensely hotter and drier conditions, which Newsom says is being prompted by climate change.
As fears mount over a decline in water availability, Newsom unveiled a new water-supply strategy that will enhance conservation efforts and prioritize capturing, recycling, and de-salting water.
Stretching Water Supplies
California has invested more than $8 billion in water infrastructure and management over
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