Reclamation Invests Almost $200M In Water Reuse In The Colorado River Basin

An additional $130M will soon be available for similar projects

The Bureau of Reclamation is investing approximately $200M in water reuse projects in Arizona and Utah as part of a continued commitment to developing long-term sustainability in the Colorado River Basin.

An agreement being finalized with the City of Phoenix includes a $179M investment in the city’s water purification infrastructure. This funding will be allocated to the design and construction of the city’s North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility.

“Increased water recycling, reuse and conservation is necessary to address long-term drought in the Colorado River Basin and these partnerships with Arizona and Utah do just that,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Scott Cameron said. “We commend the commitment to sustainable water management by Phoenix as well as by the state of Arizona through the recent passage of the Ag to Urban legislation that will promote further conservation.”

Through this agreement, the Phase 1 of the North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility will be designed and constructed to treat 8 million gallons per day of effluent for direct reuse, this translates to more than 7,500 acre-feet of additional water available for use. This initiative aims to improve water quality and ensure a reliable supply of reclaimed water for various applications.

Reclamation is also proceeding with an award to Washington County Water Conservancy District to invest $20.6M into its regional reuse system in southwestern Utah. This project aims to create a local, reliable, and drought-proof water source by treating and reusing wastewater. This funding is provided under a grant through Reclamation’s Large-Scale Water Recycling Program.

Reclamation is also pleased to announce that a new $130M funding opportunity for additional large-scale recycling projects will be available in the coming weeks.

“These projects, which incentivize conservation at a larger scale, are more important than ever given the ongoing and persistent drought in the Colorado River Basin,” Acting Commissioner David Palumbo said. “When communities diversify their water supplies by leveraging previously unusable water sources, they can dramatically improve their water resilience.”

These partnerships and investments illustrate the Department of the Interior’s continued commitment to ensuring water security and promoting long-term sustainability in the Colorado River Basin, which supplies water to more than 40 million people, supports 5.5 million acres of farmland, 30 Tribal Nations, and two states in Mexico.