Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced the passage of five water infrastructure provisions to benefit Contra Costa County as part of the Water Resources Development Act or 2022 (WRDA).
WRDA was included as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA) (H.R. 7776), which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 350-to-80. It now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
“I am proud to deliver these projects for our district that, when fully funded, would improve our community’s water supply and infrastructure and protect our local environment,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “WRDA’s passage is a critical first step in ensuring Contra Costa County has the federal support it needs to protect our increasingly scarce water supply.”
“In working to secure a new Environmental Infrastructure program for the Delta, Congressman DeSaulnier demonstrated his leadership on such matters not just for the County but the entire region,” said Karen Mitchoff, Chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “This provision should help lead to the funding of projects of critical concern such as those related to wastewater treatment; water supply and conservation, including surface water protection; environmental restoration including the repair and improvements of Delta levees; and stormwater retention and remediation. These projects will likely be funded over several years and have a beneficial impact in the County and region that will last for decades. Recognizing that we are seeing an increase in the frequency, range, and severity of Harmful Algal Bloom outbreaks in the Delta, the Congressman also helped secure a provision that will bring additional federal attention to the problem.”
Specifically, the following projects are now eligible for funding and support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
- West County Wastewater District’s living levee to help protect against coastal flooding while safeguarding the local ecosystem in North Richmond;
- West County Wastewater District’s forcemain project to upgrade the sewer collection system to protect local waterways and support environmental justice communities;
- Efforts in Contra Costa County and across the Delta to bolster water supply and conservation, protect critical habitats and natural resources, and address the effects of climate change.
In addition to these projects, Congressman DeSaulnier successfully included provisions to bolster local efforts to address invasive species in the Delta that threaten our system, and to encourage the beneficial reuse of materials that can be used to create or restore critical habitats and to protect against flooding.
WRDA is biannual legislation that supports improvements to our nation’s ports, inland waterways, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure that are essential to our environmental protection, economic growth, and global competitiveness.
