SSWD Puts Grant Dollars to Work

Since 2002, Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) has secured more than $13.35 million in grants for projects ranging from fluoride treatment to well construction to transmission pipelines and storage facilities.

Grant funds allow SSWD to complete needed capital projects while reducing the impact on local water rates. Here’s a look at recent grant awards and how they are being used to benefit SSWD customers.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Water Marketing and Efficiency Grant (2009)
Amount: $1,100,000

SSWD was successful in obtaining a $1.1 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Water Marketing and Efficiency Grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The grant is to be used for accelerating the installation of water meters. An additional 850 front yard services will be retrofitted with meters with this funding.

Grant funds for this project represent SSWD’s share of the $5 million grant awarded and collaboratively applied with five other regional water purveyors.

CALFED Water Use Efficiency Grant (2009)
Amount: $294,184

The District received a $294,184 grant award from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation CALFED Water Use Efficiency Grant Program. The grant targets water savings through the installation of weather-based irrigation controllers to a minimum 689 residential and commercial customers.

Proposition 50 Water Use Efficiency Grant (2009)
Amount: $200,000

Through a regional effort, SSWD received a $200,000 grant from the Department of Water Resources – Proposition 50 Water Use Efficiency Program. The grant will be use to accelerate the installation of about 240 water meters within the District.

Proposition 50 Urban Drought Assistance Grant (2008)
Amount: $200,000

This grant from the Department of Water Resources will help the District accelerate its water meter installation program at a lower cost to customers. The funding represents SSWD’s share of a $2 million Urban Drought Assistance Grant awarded to the Regional Water Authority for a regional water efficiency acceleration program.

Proposition 50 Implementation Grant (2007)
Amount: $750,000

This grant from the California Department of Water Resources will be used for construction of a dual-purpose groundwater production well and pump station on Verner Avenue. The project produces groundwater for use in the District ’s water system and also provides SSWD with the ability to inject surface water into the aquifer to replenish the groundwater basin. This capability will improve the District ’s overall water supply reliability and provides new opportunities to replenish water used in dry years.

Grant funds for this project represent SSWD’s share of a $25 million grant awarded to the Regional Water Authority for the American River Basin Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.

Proposition 50 Security Grant (2006)
Amount: $500,000

This matching grant from the California Department of Public Health is helping to fund an upgrade to existing system intertie connections with neighboring water agencies and construction of a secured building over a pressure reduction station at the District ’s Antelope Reservoir site. The pressure reduction station plays a key role in safely regulating source pressure into the District ’s water system. The security grant will also help install intrusion and perimeter alarms at SSWD’s Watt / Elkhorn Reservoir site as well as intrusion alarms at six major production well sites.

Planning Grant from the Department of Water Resources (2006)
Amount: $500,000 (Shared by SSWD and five members of the Regional Water Authority)

This shared grant funded water management planning efforts aimed at establishing guidelines to better manage groundwater and surface water supplies into the future.

First 5 Sacramento Commission and Sierra Health Foundation (2005)
Amount: $2.48 million

This grant funded installation of fluoride treatment and monitoring equipment at certain wells in SSWD’s South Service Area. The equipment allows the District to fluoridate water supplies, maintain optimal levels of fluoride and comply with Department of Public Health requirements.

Assembly Bill 303 Groundwater Monitoring Grant (2005)
Amount: $250,000

This grant funded construction of a multi-zoned groundwater monitoring well, a subsidence survey to measure elevation changes at well sites, and installation of new monitoring equipment at existing monitoring wells. The wells and monitoring equipment allow the District to better measure and track changes in groundwater levels and groundwater quality.

Proposition 13 Local Groundwater Assistance Grant (2003)
Amount: $6.75 million

This matching grant from the Department of Water Resources funded two transmission pipeline projects and a 5-million-gallon water storage tank and pumping station. The pipeline projects installed nearly four miles of 36-inch transmission pipeline to enhance water pressure and circulation throughout SSWD’s North Service Area. The storage tank and pumping station allow SSWD to store and distribute treated surface water purchased from the City of Sacramento.