The Department of the Interior today announced three funding opportunities available to help Western communities create or expand clean, new water sources. The selected projects, which include desalination, and water reclamation and reuse projects, will be funded through investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, when enacted, fiscal year 2022 appropriations.
These funds will provide assistance to drought-impacted communities as the federal government collaborates with states, Tribes and other water users to develop longer-term solutions to climate change.
"Drought, climate change, and less reliable water resources year-after-year give rise to the need to continue to develop new and innovative solutions to address the challenges we face" said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding available for these funding opportunities provides the resources to expand our efforts and develop lasting solutions across the West."
"Water reuse and desalination are important tools to building resiliency throughout the West, and these funding opportunities support water providers in developing new and clean sources of water to improve their water supply reliability for their communities," said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. "Through our traditional sources and now funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can bring more resources to support Western communities."
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law contains $1 billion over five years for water reclamation and reuse projects, including $550 million for the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program and $250 million for water desalination projects.
For more than 100 years, Reclamation and its partners have developed sustainable water and power solutions for the West. These funding opportunities are part of the Department of the Interior's WaterSMART Program, which focuses on improving water conservation and reliability, while helping water resource managers make sound decisions about water use.
