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Funding is still available in 2024 to install water-efficient toilets and smart irrigation controllers in underrepresented communities across the region. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority low-flow upgrades

Funding Still Available in 2024 For Free Low-Flow Upgrades

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Income-qualifying residents in the San Diego region can still benefit from a grant-funded program replacing outdated toilets with high-efficiency models in 2024.

More than 6,000 high-efficiency toilets have been installed free of charge to date in under-represented communities across the region through a grant-funded program run by the San Diego County Water Authority.

Funding remains available to replace about 4,000 more outdated toilets with professionally installed, high-efficiency models at no cost. Eligible communities include mobile home communities, multi-family units, and income-qualifying single-family homes.

Qualified applicants for low-flow upgrades include mobile home communities, multi-family housing, and income qualifying single family homes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Qualified applicants for low-flow upgrades include mobile home communities, multi-family housing, and income-qualifying single-family homes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Smart irrigation controllers are also available at no cost through the program. Participants must be residential customers within the Water Authority’s service area.

Learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements and the application process at Direct Install Program.

Free upgrades conserve water, save money

High efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers conserve water while saving costs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority low flow upgrades

High-efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers conserve water while saving costs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

“This is a great way for residents to get a free home upgrade that conserves water and saves on water bills,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Water affordability is a top priority for the Water Authority, and this program is one of many ways we are combatting inflationary pressures on water prices.”

Through the Direct Install Program, toilets that use 1.6 gallons or more per flush are replaced with premium, high-efficiency models that use half the water. The program is entirely funded by more than $4 million in grants from the California Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Water Management and Urban Community Drought Relief programs and through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Water Authority pursues funding for region’s water system

In addition to the Direct Install Program, the Water Authority is taking numerous other steps to enhance affordability. For instance, the agency helped secure $25 million to cover overdue residential water bills resulting from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The Water Authority also operates an industry-leading asset management program designed to avoid the extreme costs of emergency repairs on large-scale water pipelines.

In 2024, the Water Authority is working with Washington, D.C. officials to secure federal funds to defray the cost of generational upgrades to local dams and reservoirs.

Survey: 66% of Americans Say Water Requires More Federal Funding

/in , /by /Water Finance and Management by WFM Staff

The American Business Water Coalition (ABWC), a national organization comprised of water-reliant businesses, has released a “U.S. Water Infrastructure Funding and Business Risks Survey,” examining voter opinions across a wide spectrum of water issues.

The survey focused on water issues such as water quality, federal infrastructure funding and perceived risk to U.S. businesses and local communities from potential water-related crises.

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Western Lawmakers Form Caucus to Talk Colorado River in Congress

/in , , /by /KUNCby Alex Hager

Members of Congress from six of the seven states that use Colorado River water are convening a new caucus. The group aims to help rally federal funding for water projects along a river that supplies 40 million people and is shrinking due to climate change.

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Oceanside Declares Local Emergency, Will Seek State & Federal Funding For Storm Response

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phil Diehl

Oceanside declared a local emergency this week in hopes of getting state and possibly federal money to cover the repair costs for sinkholes, landslides, flooding and a sewage spill caused by the recent series of storms.

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Over $63M in Federal Funding Announced for 22 San Diego-Area Projects

/in , , /by /10 Newsby City News Service

More than $63 million in proposed federal funding was announced Tuesday to support nearly two dozen projects across the San Diego region.

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, said in a statement that the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations package that will deliver funding for 22 projects slated for the San Diego region will head next to both chambers of Congress for final passage.

Among the projects expected to receive funding in the package are:

— $3.45 million for the City of Oceanside‘s Loma Alta Creek Sewer Relocation, which will move a sewer main from a creek bed to a roadway to minimize environmental damage in the event of a sanitary sewer overflow.

— $3.45 million for the Smuggler’s Gulch Dredging Project, which will clear trash and sediment to protect downstream communities, and protect human and environmental health in the Tijuana River Watershed and coastal waters.

— $3.39 million for Borrego Water District‘s Borrego Spring Transmission Main, which will update the water distribution system and reduce water pipeline breaks.

— $3.06 million for the Valley Center Municipal Water District‘s Lilac Road Pipeline Replacement, which is aimed at reducing water loss and improving water conservation, among other benefits of the 60-year-old pipeline’s replacement.

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North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition Awarded Up to $17.8 Million in Federal Funding

/in , /by /Water News Network

The North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition was awarded a grant of up to $17.8 million for the development of recycled water infrastructure. The grant funds come from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

“As we face increasingly devastating drought conditions, it’s imperative that we continue to diversify our water supplies and strengthen our local water independence,” said U.S. Representative Mike Levin. “The North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition plays a critical role in that effort, which is why I am proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding investments for their important work to expand the use of recycled water.”

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Here’s What California Stands to Gain from Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

/in , , /by /Sacramento Beeby Lara Korte

Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Congress for passing President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Friday night, calling it a “once-in-a-generation investment” which will help to create jobs and modernize California’s transportation systems. Newsom expect billions of dollars in additional federal funding under the bill, including another $5.8 billion over five years that will help fix California highways, which are rated among the nation’s worst. That money comes in addition to the $3 billion to $4 billion California usually gets for such programs every year.

Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article255606451.html#storylink=cpy

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Explainer: Western Water Projects in Infrastructure Deal

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham

Included in the sweeping $1 trillion infrastructure bill approved by the Senate is funding for Western water projects that farmers, water providers and environmentalists say are badly needed across the parched region.

The Senate voted this week in favor of the legislation that seeks to rebuild U.S. roads and highways, improve broadband internet access and modernize water pipes and public works systems. The bill’s future in the House is uncertain.

The federal funding would come as the West bakes under a decadeslong drought that is straining water supplies.

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San Diego’s Water Desalination Efforts Could Get Boost in Federal Funding

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Deborah Sullivan Brennan

Desalination projects in the San Diego area could get millions in federal funding under a bill Rep. Mike Levin introduced Tuesday.

The Desalination Development Act would provide $260 million over five years for desalination projects across the country, including Oceanside’s Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility, which converts brackish flows into potable water, said Levin.

It also sets environmental standards for projects that get federal funding, with requirements for energy efficiency, wildlife protection and water conservation.

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Rep. Vargas: $3.2M for Salton Sea, New River in Bill

/in , /by /Holtville Tribune

Nearly $3.25 million in federal funding was preliminarily secured for separate project requests at the Salton Sea and the New River on Monday, July 12, according to the office of Congressman Juan Vargas, D-Chula Vista. The funding was part of a 2022 House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee bill that included requests of $2.546 million for a major Salton Sea research project, $200,000 for a Salton Sea feasibility study, and $500,000 for planning and design phases for a potential New River restoration project, Vargas’ press release states.

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