These projects advance the Newsom Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to building water resilience through storage, recycling, desalination, conservation and more, and they further the state’s efforts to build more, faster through upgrades to critical infrastructure across the state.  

This past year, nearly two-thirds of the State Water Board’s total financial assistance, or about $570 million, was given as grants for drinking water and wastewater projects in disadvantaged communities, as well as groundwater recharge and remediation and stormwater projects. A total of $62.8 million went towards new projects that will recycle, capture and store more water, adding over 8,300 acre-feet per year to the state’s supplies.

Over the last three years, the State Water Board has distributed more than $5.2 billion to infrastructure projects and drinking water systems, drawing from multiple sources including the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – unprecedented federal support that will reach $2.8 billion cumulatively for California by the end of 2026.

With estimates that hotter, drier conditions could reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by the year 2040, the state is implementing multi-faceted solutions to safeguard and boost water supplies as outlined in the California Water Plan, Water Supply Strategy and Water Resilience Portfolio.