The Department of the Interior has announced a significant investment of $223 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is directed towards water recycling and desalination projects to combat drought effects, with 18 projects across eight states receiving support through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse and Desalination Programs. The initiatives are projected to produce 305,936 acre-feet of recycled water annually.
President Biden's agenda marks a historic investment in climate resilience, particularly benefiting Western communities facing drought and climate change challenges. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Bureau of Reclamation is channeling $8.3 billion over five years into various water infrastructure projects. These include rural water supply, storage, conservation efforts, nature-based solutions, dam safety measures, purification processes, reuse strategies, and desalination. Since its inception three years ago, this law has enabled Reclamation to allocate nearly $5.3 billion for over 670 projects.
"Access to clean and reliable water is essential for feeding families and communities, growing crops, sustaining wildlife and the environment, and powering agricultural businesses," stated Secretary Deb Haaland. She emphasized that the Biden-Harris administration is utilizing all available resources to mitigate climate-fueled drought impacts while fostering long-term resilience plans.
Deputy Commissioner Roque Sanchez highlighted ongoing efforts during a visit to an Oklahoma project: "With these historic investments, we continue to work with our stakeholders to develop drought resiliency in western states through water reuse and desalination." He noted that these initiatives enable communities to harness previously unusable water supplies as new local sources less susceptible to climate change effects.
Sanchez visited the Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District which received $7.5 million for its Drinking Water Pretreatment Rehabilitation Project. The district aims to enhance its treatment process at the Foss Water Treatment Plant by increasing capacity from approximately 1.8 million gallons per day to 2.3 million gallons per day—a roughly 25 percent increase—thereby bolstering resilience against droughts and climate changes.
This funding announcement follows previous allocations under the program such as $142 million disclosed in June.
