Pure Water Monterey to receive grant
MONTEREY >> Officials with the Department of the Interior have announced that Monterey One Water will receive more than $10.3 million to help fund the expansion of its Pure Water Monterey project.
The grant, announced Wednesday, is one of 25 funded by the Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for western states battling drought that is likely to only grow worse as climate change advances.
Mary Ann Carbone, the chairwoman of the Monterey One board of directors, said the funding is timely as the region is addressing a number of challenges that impact the local water supply.
“Expansion of (Pure Water Monterey) is a cost-effective option to provide additional water for the Peninsula.” Carbone said, and thanked Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, and local elected officials for supporting the project.
Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton said in a news release that projects that reuse water are key to diversifying water supply in droughtstricken areas of the West.
“This has tangible impacts and can help feed families, grow crops, sustain wildlife and the environment, and help more families access safe, clean, reliable water,” Touton said. “These projects will provide flexibility for communities and help them stretch their current drinking supplies as they
will be treating wastewater that continues to be available.”
The existing Pure Water Monterey, the first potable reuse project in Northern California, uses advanced water treatment processes to turn wastewater into a safe, dependable and sustainable water supply, said Mike McCullough, director of external affairs for Monterey One Water.
The current project was also partly funded by a $20 million grant from the Bureau of Reclamation. The new grant will increase production and injection capacity of the expanded Pure Water Monterey project. After the water is purified, it is then pumped into the Seaside Groundwater Basin via injection wells.
The Seaside basin — a large underground aquifer — is one of the main sources of water for the Monterey Peninsula, along with water from the Carmel River basin pumped out by California American Water Co.
The state Division of Drinking Water and Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board regulate the highly purified water to ensure it complies with or exceeds strict state and federal drinking water standards since Pure Water Monterey first came online in 2020.
Since that time, the project has injected roughly 7,600 acre-feet of water into the basin. One acrefoot will provide two urban households with water for a year, according to the Water Education Foundation. By those estimates, it means the project has supplied enough water for more than 15,000 households.
During the most recent fiscal year that ended June 30, the project delivered to Cal Am 3,500 acre-feet of water and an additional 173 acre-feet into reserves, according to the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. The expansion project is expected to add another 2,250 acre-feet annually.
The original project had a price tag of about $117 million and the expansion is expected to run another $60 million, water officials said.
Analyses performed for the water district indicated the combined 5,750 acre-feet would be enough to supply the Peninsula's water demand for the next 20 to 30 years, Stoldt said.
“The project's public agency partners spent many years sharing the importance and promise of Pure Water Monterey,” he said. “It's great to see that investment of time and energy come back in the form of grant funds to benefit our constituents here on the Monterey Peninsula.”