IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency has received a $1.4 million conditional grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that will help pay for the Montclair Basin Improvement Project.
The funding, from the 2025 WaterSMART Drought Response Program, will be used to expand groundwater recharge capacity and improve drought preparation in the Chino Groundwater Basin according to an agency statement released July 3.
“We appreciate the bureau’s partnership in helping our region secure sustainable water supplies,” said Marco Tule, the utility agency’s board president, in the statement. “This conditional funding supports critical improvements that will allow (the agency) to capture and store more water locally, which will protect our communities from future droughts.”
Announced June 26, the WaterSMART Program provides $33.5 million to 14 projects across California, Nebraska, Utah, and Washington.
The utilities agency serves more than 950,000 residents throughout the 242-square miles in western San Bernardino County, according to the statement.
The Chino Groundwater Basin provides water to southwest San Bernardino County. The grant’s conditions, which the utilities agency must meet in order to receive the funding were not disclosed.
