CVWD completes critical pipeline project in Eastern Coachella Valley

CVWD celebrates the completion of the Avenue 66 Transmission Main Project, also known as the Saint Anthony Mobile Home Park Water Consolidation project, which will now provide the critical backbone infrastructure to immediately connect three mobile home parks to CVWD's domestic water system and up to 35 future connections.

The Project included the installation of approximately 26,723 linear feet of 30-inch-diameter water transmission main pipe along Avenue 66 and approximately 4,463 linear feet of 12-inch-diameter water transmission main along Lincoln Street, in the unincorporated area of Riverside County.

The three mobile home parks being connected are Saint Anthony, Seferino Huerta, and Manuela Garcia. The Avenue 66 Transmission Main also provides water supply reliability to CVWD's domestic water system serving the communities of Mecca, North Shore, and Bombay Beach.

Many Eastern Coachella Valley community members receive water from failing or at-risk private water systems and unreliable sanitation systems. When systems fail or the power goes out, families can go without water for days.

"This project will change the region for generations to come," said Cástulo Estrada, CVWD Board Vice President and a founding member of the Disadvantaged Communities Infrastructure Task Force. "Access to safe, affordable water and sewer services brings additional benefits, including new housing opportunities and economic growth. I'm grateful to the District Board, staff, and our state partners for their collaboration and support in making these impactful projects possible."

This Project is part of a multi-year effort by CVWD's Disadvantaged Communities Infrastructure Task Force to secure funding for projects to consolidate and connect thousands of Eastern Coachella Valley residents to CVWD's domestic water system.

"Communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley have for too long experienced stark inequities, especially in access to water and sanitation. The work of CVWD and its Disadvantaged Communities Infrastructure Task Force on the Avenue 66 project is a model of how to build the partnership necessary to bring safe drinking water to the 2% of Californians who still don't have it," said Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. "I am proud of the collective leadership our partners have shown on the many state-funded drinking water projects like this one that are now coming to completion across the state."

Project funding includes a $23.4 million grant from the State Water Resources Control Board, a $7 million grant from the Department of Water Resources, appropriated through the Budget Act of 2021, supported by former Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, $1.2 million from Proposition 1 Round 1 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) implementation grant, and $165,665 from the Disadvantaged Community Involvement grant.

Projects like this highlight DWR's commitment to the human right to water by helping ensure these communities have access to clean, affordable water," said Arthur Hinojosa, Division Manager of the Division of Regional Assistance at DWR. "The work CVWD and our partners have done is a prime example of the benefits of building strong partnerships in support of integrated regional water management. We're proud of the completion of this very important project and will continue to support communities across the Golden State with such efforts."

To learn more about CVWD's state and federal partners and other projects, visit: cvwd.org/DACtaskforce.

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Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district serves the community with domestic water, agricultural irrigation and drainage, wastewater collection and treatment, nonpotable and recycled water, regional stormwater protection, groundwater management, and water conservation. It serves approximately 114,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, primarily in Riverside County, as well as portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.

Media Contact: Lorraine Garcia
Communication Manager/PIO
Email: Lorraine.Garcia@cvwd.org
Office: (760) 398-2661, ext. 2549
Cell: (760) 695-4007