Novato Advance - 'NBWRA receives federal grant'

The North Bay Water Reuse Authority was one of eight construction projects in California to receive federal funding under the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program. The Bureau of Reclamation anticipates NBWRA will be awarded $1.29 million, earned in part because of the high benefits to the community expected to result from the project.

The grant funding will be used to complete work in the Novato South Service Area, a portion of the North Bay Water Reuse Program in Marin County, which is jointly being carried out by the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District and the North Marin Water District. The project includes construction of a new tertiary treatment plant, rehabilitation of an existing storage tank and 5.9 miles of new pipeline to expand service to new customers for landscape irrigation. The project will offset approximately 200 acre-feet, or approximately 65 million gallons, of potable water used for landscape irrigation annually.

“The North Bay faces long-term challenges in providing reliable regional water supplies, and this funding will assist with the completion of a project that will help to conserve potable supplies and protect against drought by utilizing recycled water,” said NBWRA Chairman Bill Long. “We are extremely proud to have been chosen to receive the grant, and it is a great boost to the local economy. We would also like to once again thank Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Diane Feinstein, Congressman Mike Thompson and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey for their long-standing support for this program. Without their efforts none of these projects would have been possible.”

WaterSMART is a program of the U.S. Department of the Interior that focuses on improving water conservation and sustainability, and helping water resource managers make sound decisions about water use. SMART stands for “Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow.”

NBWRA is a regional group consisting of seven public agencies in Napa, Marin and Sonoma counties, with a goal of expanding the use of recycled water in the region. The program has obtained federal authorization, paving the way for $25 million in grant funding. To date, more than $8 million in funds has been secured for planning and to begin construction.

More information on the North Bay Water Reuse Program is available online at nbwra.org, by e-mailing info@nbwra.org or by calling 707-547-1923. For more information on the WaterSMART program, visit usbr.gov/WaterSMART.