Press Release: IEUA Awarded $10.8 Million to Fund Chino Basin Resiliency Efforts

INLAND EMPIRE, CA – On November 18, the U.S. Department of Interior, United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR/Reclamation) selected the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) as a recipient of over $10.8 million for the Advanced Treatment of Recycled Water to Enhance Chino Basin Resiliency Project.

“Investing in large-scale water recycling is a vital step toward securing drought resilient water supplies for our community,” stated IEUA Board President Marco Tule. “These transformative projects, like IEUA’s Chino Basin Program, are essential to safeguarding our water supplies, turning previously unusable water into a sustainable resource that ensures future generations have access to the water they need to thrive.”

These investments are part of the U.S. Department of Interior’s newly launched WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects, which began in 2023 with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.   The Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects focuses on developing local, drought-resistant water supplies through water recycling.  Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $450 million was allocated to this program and eligible projects must have a total project cost of $500 million or more.  To-date, only five projects, including IEUA’s, have been considered for funding.

The Agency’s Advanced Treatment of Recycled Water to Enhance Chino Basin Resiliency Project is part of the Chino Basin Program, which will develop an additional 15,000 acre-feet per year of advanced purified recycled water that will be stored in the Chino Basin. IEUA was selected for anticipated funding in the amount of $10,856,662 in support of construction project components of the Chino Basin Program.

“It is a tremendous privilege to be one of the five projects that have been considered for funding through this new and unique grant program.  We are grateful for USBR’s support of this important regional project.  It is projects like the Chino Basin Program that are built on collaboration with regional, state, and federal partners that will ultimately ensure a reliable water supply that can meet the ever evolving and growing demands of our communities in the West,” continued Tule.

For additional information on the Chino Basin Program, visit chinobasinprogram.org.

For more information on the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program, click here.

For more information about the funding announcement, click here.

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The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) is an innovative, forward-thinking Agency serving over 950,000 residents across 242-square miles in western San Bernardino County. The Agency is committed to supporting the needs of its service area and safeguarding public health through its significant investments in developing a diversified water supply portfolio, developing reliable municipal/industrial wastewater collection and treatment services, and other related utility services in a regionally planned and cost-effective manner. IEUA’s mission ensures long-term success for the region and its customer agencies which include Chino, Chino Hills, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Fontana, Fontana Water Company, Montclair, Monte Vista Water District, Ontario, San Antonio Water Company, Upland, and West Valley Water District.