INLAND EMPIRE, CA – As of May 16, 2019, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), in partnership with 14 additional cities and agencies within the Chino Basin, have approved a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in support of the Chino Basin Program (CBP).
The CBP, which includes construction of an advanced water treatment facility and distribution system to treat and store up to 15,000 acre-feet per year of recycled water in the Chino Basin, was conditionally awarded $206.9 million from Proposition 1, a state water bond approved by voters in 2014 that provides funding for new and innovative water storage projects. In addition to the creation and storage of the advanced treated water that reduces the impact of salinity in the groundwater, the CBP provides groundwater treatment capacity of 50,000 acre-feet per year that improves water quality and addresses historical land subsidence within the Chino Basin. In order to secure the final funding award, the CBP’s technical feasibility studies, institutional agreements and environmental permitting must be completed by 2020. Stakeholder engagement and support for the CBP are instrumental in the program’s success. “Our goal has always been to work together to build partnerships and infrastructure that support our communities today, tomorrow and into the future,” said IEUA Board President Paul Hofer. “The Chino Basin Program embodies these principles and encourages continued coordination between each of our cities and water agencies.” “The hard work of the local cities and water agencies, working together over the past 20 years to build on the success of past programs, laid the foundation for the Chino Basin Program,” said IEUA Board member and CBP Ad Hoc Committee Chair Steve Elie. “This is a collaborative effort to ensure that our region is able to meet water supply, water quality, and storage needs now and in the future.” IEUA will continue to work closely with its partners to further define the project vision and develop the institutional agreements to achieve the CBP vision.
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency covers 242-square miles, distributes imported water, provides industrial/municipal wastewater collection and treatment services, and other related utility services to more than 875,000 people through its member agencies which include Chino, Chino Hills, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Fontana, Fontana Water Company, Montclair, Monte Vista Water District, Ontario, and Upland.
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