We are thankful for grant funding to expand the sewer collection system.
YUCCA VALLEY, CA: This September, the State Water Resources Control Board committed nearly $104 million in grant funding—$103 million from the California 2021 Wastewater Infrastructure Funds and $750 thousand from a federal principal forgiveness loan—to support the next construction phase of the Hi-Desert Water District’s (District) sewer collection system. As the project serves a small, disadvantaged community, the funding will not need to be repaid.
This funding is very good news for Yucca Valley as the District now faces the next phase of implementing and expanding its sewer collection system project to provide sewer service to additional customers.
“We at the board are glad to see this wastewater project expand the District’s capacity to serve the growing needs of the region, well into the future,” said Joe Karkoski, Deputy Director at the State Water Board and head of its Division of Financial Assistance. “The state’s financial support for this project comes from Governor Newsom’s and the California Legislature’s recent and historic investments in infrastructure aimed at securing economic and security dividends that come from protecting our groundwater, investing in the state’s disadvantaged communities, and developing our resilience to climate change.”
The recently committed funding is in addition to the almost $145 million — $137.9 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $7 million from Prop 1 Groundwater funding — provided since 2016 to complete the earlier Wastewater Treatment and Water Reclamation Facility, and the Septic System Abatement & Private Lateral Installation projects. The CWSRF is a federal-state partnership that provides low-cost financing to communities for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects, including municipal sewer system and wastewater facilities. In total the Water Board has provided $248 million in funding, highlighting California’s commitment to protecting our water resources and instilling resiliency in the system’s infrastructure.
The new collection system will help the District comply with the Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board’s septic discharge prohibition.
“It is very important to address the potential contamination issues from septic waste,” said Peter Satin, chair of the Colorado River Basin Water Board. “We commend Hi Desert for acting to build the necessary infrastructure to protect our habitat and drinking water.”
Interim General Manager Tony Culver explains with excitement, “We are pleased to share the State has recognized our project as a priority. With the approval of this funding, we can now move forward with awarding a contract to a qualified contractor for the final planning and construction phases. This will enable the expansion of the sewer collection system, allowing us to serve more customers in the area. As we add more users to the system, it will help achieve greater economies of scale, ultimately benefiting all users. By distributing the operational costs of both the treatment plant and collection system, we can enhance the efficiency and affordability of our services for the entire community.”
Construction is anticipated to begin January 2025 with a completion date of December 31, 2025.
Additional information:
Funding for the construction phase of the sewer collection system project has been provided under the California Budget Act of 2021, through an agreement with the State Water Board, and from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which may include capitalization funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The District recognizes there will be many questions about the next phase of expanding the sewer collection system to bring sewer service to more customers and what areas will be under construction. Customers are encouraged to visit the District’s website for current information and sign up for email updates at www.hdwd.com. The District does not have all the answers at this time, but does want to share this good news with the District’s customers about receipt of the funding.
The District will be sending information directly to property owners in the areas that will be under construction and will be providing regular updates as we know more. The private property connections are not included in the scope of the funding received from the State Water Board, so property owners will need to plan to hire a contractor to connect to the sewer and abandon their septic system.
Yucca Valley is subject to the Regional Water Board’s septic prohibition requiring the remaining phases to cease discharging to septic systems by December 31, 2031, or 180 days after the municipal sewage collection system becomes available, whichever comes first. While the District has several years to comply, it will continue to make progress to expand the sewer collection system and comply with the Regional Water Board’s Basin Plan.
Phase I construction was completed in 2019 and has been operational for a few years now. Over 95% of the customers in Phase I are connected and those remaining to be served are working to connect to avoid the State enforcement action. Phase I was paid for with a low-interest loan secured by Assessment District 2014-1, which is paid for by property owners in all phases over a period of 30 years on their property tax roll. Phases II and III were assessed a portion of the cost of Phase I that they will benefit from once connected.
The Town of Yucca Valley passed Measure Z which placed a ½ cent sales tax on local purchases to help reduce the financial burden to those in the Phase I assessment district. Since 2016, Measure Z has generated over $16 million to help pay down the loan for Phase 1, thereby reducing what property owners have had to pay each year.
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