State-funded project bolsters San Bernardino water supply

RIALTO, CA - The California State Water Resources Control Board joined the West Valley Water District, cities of Rialto and Fontana, state and local elected officials and school districts today to celebrate the completion of an upgraded plant that will expand the district’s capacity to treat drinking water for over 108,000 residents.

Minimizing the financial burden on local customers, the State Water Board provided the district with a $46.6 million loan to expand and upgrade the Oliver P. Roemer Water Filtration Facility, a drinking water plant that serves several cities and communities in San Bernardino County. The $62.5 million renovation – the largest capital project in the district’s history – will increase treatment capacity by 50 percent and strengthen the reliability of the county’s drinking water supplies.

Projects like this expanded treatment facility support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s build more, faster agenda to deliver infrastructure upgrades across the state. The district’s low-interest loan was provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, a national program that combines federal and state dollars to finance infrastructure improvements for drinking water.

“I congratulate the West Valley Water District and all the communities here in the Inland Empire that will benefit from the additional water security this upgraded facility will bring,” said State Water Board Member Nichole Morgan. “The board has supported this project and others like it to make drinking water more reliable for 27 million people in 213 communities across California over the past eight years. The board’s low-interest financing allowed the district to upgrade the facility and keep water rates affordable."

The board’s loan enabled the district to expand the facility’s capacity from 14.4 million gallons per day to 21.6 million, as well as add a new filter building, three ultraviolet disinfection reactors, backwash-settling pond enhancements, new influent and effluent pump stations, new emergency generator and fuel tank, new lab/restroom, storage reservoir modifications, a conveyance pipeline and more.

“The State Revolving Fund financing was a tremendous benefit to our ratepayers. By securing the 1.1 percent interest rate, we significantly reduced the financing cost of the upgrade and expansion,” said West Valley Water District President Kelvin Moore. “Over the 30-year life of the loan, the district is expected to save approximately $26 million compared with conventional financing. This is an excellent example of how responsible financial planning and access to low-cost financing can help us strengthen our water system, protect our ratepayers, and prepare for the water needs of future generations.”

The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided California with a total of $2.2 through the board’s State Revolving Fund program to upgrade its drinking water infrastructure since 2022. Support through the IIJA concludes this fiscal year.

More information about the board’s financial assistance programs and success stories can be found on its website.

The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses and to ensure proper water resource allocation and beneficial use for present and future generations.