Inland Empire, CA - At the Inland Empire Utilities Agency's (IEUA/Agency) Board workshop on Wednesday, the Board of Directors approved funding for the Agency to move forward with the planning process for the Chino Basin Project (CBP) to meet California Water Commission's requirements. In July 2018, the CBP was approved for maximum conditional funding of $206.9 million from Proposition 1, a state water bond approved by voters in 2014 that provided funding for new water storage projects.
"In order to secure the final funding agreement, a Preliminary Design Report (PDR), agreements, permits and environmental document need to be completed," said Halla Razak, IEUA General Manager. "The PDR will be prepared to define the CBP scope of work, refine project costs and develop a programmatic environmental impact report."
The CBP is consistent with IEUA's long range water resource plans and includes groundwater cleanup components that were identified as needed by local agencies, which is an important step in ensuring drought resiliency in the region. The CBP involves the construction of an advanced water treatment facility and distribution system that will treat and store up to 15,000 acre-feet per year of recycled water in the Chino Basin, thus creating a new local water supply. In partnership with a State Water Project Contractor, this water would be exchanged in blocks of up to 50,000 acre-feet per year towards ecosystem benefits north of the Delta for 25 years.
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. IEUA will continue to work closely with water agencies to further define the project vision, implementation in the Chino Basin, and develop the institutional agreements to achieve the CBP vision by 2026.
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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