Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has introduced a companion bill to House legislation that would authorize $174 million for desalination and recycling projects to increase Southern California’s water supply. All the projects were locally designed and developed by the Metropolitan Water District and local water districts in Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.

These projects will produce enough water to meet the needs of 800,000 people every year. Local revenues will provide 80 percent of the funding for the projects. The federal share is only 20 percent.

“This legislation will help Southern California reduce its dependence on water from the Colorado River,” Senator Feinstein said. “California’s population continues to grow. Today, we have 37 million people and by 2020 we will have more than 50 million. So it’s absolutely critical that California increase its water supplies so that there is enough water for agriculture, drinking water, and the environment.”

In total, the projects in this bill would increase the region’s water supply by 65 billion gallons per year. Specifically, the bill would authorize:

• $51.8 million for a groundwater replenishment system in Orange County , which would produce enough drinking water for 300,000 Californians per year;

• $20 million for the planning, design, and construction of natural wetlands to remove contaminants from the Santa Ana River and its Prado Basin tributaries in Riverside County;

• $50 million for the expansion of desalination and reclamation facilities in the Chino Basin in San Bernardino County;

• $40 million for the construction of brine lines, which would transport wastewater from desalination plants to the Pacific Ocean; and

• $12 million for a Center for Membrane Technology (Membrane Technology is the technology being used to remove salts from sea water). The Center would include a visitor center to educate the public about desalination and a research facility to develop new techniques to improve the efficiency of desalination.

Legislation, which was introduced by Representatives Gary Miller (R-Calif.), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), David Dreier (R-Calif.), Edward Royce (R-Calif.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), and former Representative Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) was approved by the House of Representatives in October.

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