EPA Awards ARRA Funds to Eastern Municipal Water District for Wastewater Project

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently joined the Eastern Municipal Water District for the groundbreaking of an innovative $46.3 million wastewater treatment energy efficiency project, which is funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Funding for the Moreno Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility Preliminary Treatment and Acid Phase Anaerobic Digestion project is from the California’s Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, which was augmented with an additional $280 million by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Upgrades funded by these loans will enable the Eastern Municipal Water District to produce 40% of the Moreno Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility’s energy needs onsite. This substantially reduces energy production and associated greenhouse gas emissions that would have been generated at offsite facilities and helps to control ratepayer energy costs.

Upgrades will also reduce sludge production, thus lowering truck emissions resulting from sludge hauling. By increasing treatment capacity, and improving treatment processes, the district will continue to efficiently recycle treated wastewater for non-potable uses, thus conserving scarce water supplies. 

Major construction firms contracted for the project include W.M. Lyles Co., $29.8 million for the facility’s preliminary treatment and acid phase digestion project; and J.R. Filanc Construction Co., $28.6 million for the facility’s secondary clarifier and tertiary treatment project.

An additional CWSRF loan containing ARRA funds was recently provided to the Eastern Municipal Water District to separately upgrade the Moreno Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility. Construction began in May, 2009 on a $38 million project to increase treatment plant capacity and improve process operations.  

“Clean water is a precious commodity, especially in arid southern California,” says John Kemmerer, associate director, EPA Region 9 Water Division. “We applaud the Eastern Municipal Water District for their spirit of innovation and environmental responsibility in taking advantage of these funding opportunities to conserve energy and scarce water supplies.”

“The Eastern Municipal Water District is pleased to have been selected by the EPA and State Water Resources Control Board to receive funding for this model innovative green project,” says EMWD Board President Ron Sullivan. “The project will enable our Moreno Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility to become more self-reliant in energy generation and more cost and energy-efficient in its treatment of wastewater. Additionally, EMWD customers will realize approximately $4 million savings in interest payments through this zero to low-interest loan.”

The APAD (Preliminary Treatment and Acid Phase Anaerobic Digestion) project will sustain approximately 125 jobs. It mimics natural processes that enable water resources to regenerate themselves by removing pathogens and restoring water quality. Treating millions of gallons per day, the plant uses the methane produced as a byproduct of the treatment process as a source for fuel cells, which power up to 40% of the plant during peak hours. This reduces greenhouse gas annually by 10,600 tons, or the equivalent of eliminating 906 vehicles for one year.

The Eastern Municipal Water District provides domestic and agricultural water, wastewater collection and treatment service, and recycled water in a 555-sq-mi service area with a population of about 687,000 in western Riverside County. 
In California, the EPA provides annual Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund grants to the California State Water Resources Board, who administers the program by providing loans to utilities and municipalities.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability.  To that end, the American people can visit recovery.gov to see how every dollar is being invested. Other firms involved in the project include Carollo Engineers, Converse Consultants and The Thomsen Co.

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