News Release: EPA awards $174 million to improve drinking water systems, reduce water pollution across Calif.

For Immediate Release: November 21, 2013 Media Contact: Nahal Mogharabi, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov, 213-514-4361                                                                                                                                       EPA awards $174 million to improve drinking water systems, reduce water pollution across Calif.             FRESNO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it recently awarded the State of California $174 million in federal funding to invest in water infrastructure projects. The California Department of Public Health received a $79 million grant for its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the California State Water Resources Control Board received a $95 million grant for its Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The funding will be used for projects to control water pollution and provide low-cost loans for both drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades statewide. “In the last 26 years, EPA has provided more than $4 billion in funding for California water projects alone” said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator of EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Without this investment at the federal level, many communities would not be able to satisfy Californians’ basic needs for clean and safe drinking water.”   Projects previously supported by the State Revolving Fund include a $34 million loan to Los Angeles County for the construction of a new pumping plant and renovating aging water mains and an $11 million loan to the City of Lathrop to construct an arsenic treatment facility, improve wells and lay down new water mains for over 16,000 residents. The funds are used for a wide variety of water quality projects, including nonpoint source pollution control, watershed protection or restoration, water and energy efficiency projects, wastewater reclamation, drinking water infrastructure improvements, technical assistance, and traditional municipal wastewater treatment projects.  The EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region administers and enforces federal environmental laws in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations -- home to more than 48 million people. The EPA is also a significant source of funding. In 2013, more than 85 percent of the $631 million regional operating budget flowed to state and tribal agencies, local governments, non-profit organizations and private-sector companies in the form of grants and contracts. This funding pays for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, air pollution reduction programs, Superfund site cleanups and many other activities that protect human health and natural resources.   For more information on EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, visit:  http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/index.cfm   For more information on EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, visit:  http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/cwsrf_index.cfm   ###     You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to elmasry.webmaster@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355