The $13.5 billion in stimulus dollars for water projects announced in February could be just the start of a robust funding stream that will keep contractors busy in California for years to come.
More than $441 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money will go to California wastewater and drinking water projects through the existing Environmental Protection Agency/California Water Board Clean Water and Drinking Water revolving fund grant programs. News of the influx of funding without the usual 20% match requirement brought a flood of projects to the state Water Board for consideration. Since the beginning of the year, $3.3 billion in projects have come forward in addition to the $1.9 billion originally in the pipeline.