| Bay Area sewer, water projects to get federal stimulus funding |
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Bay Area sewer, water projects to get federal stimulus funding By Julia Scott San Mateo County Times 03/19/2009 02:12:29 PM PDT Cities with badly outdated sewer and water infrastructure saw a ray of hope in February when it became clear that federal stimulus funding for "shovel-ready" projects would include the sort of crucial water-based repairs that the public rarely thinks about and is reluctant to pay for. Cities, wastewater agencies and special districts around the Bay Area rushed to pre-apply for federal grant funds that may become available to expand wastewater plants, implement water recycling programs, and replace old and leaky water mains, according to Ken August, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health, which will distribute some of the federal money. Much of that hope may be in vain as his staff wades through more funding requests than it can ever possibly meet. The department has already received 2,274 project proposals with a total value of $6.8 billion, but California can expect to receive only $168 million from the federal stimulus signed this month by President Barack Obama. San Mateo County alone cumulatively submitted 65 projects for consideration, worth some $114 million, August said. These include requests for new water tanks, better water treatment, new water mains and conservation projects, all focused on drinking water quality. The State Water Resources Control Board is in a similar bind, with $280 million in sewer-improvement funds to distribute and initial requests that already surpass $1 billion, according Advertisement to records. At a Tuesday meeting, the State Water Board decided to allocate at least $70 million of the $280 million toward wastewater projects that lost their state bond funding. That's likely good news for Redwood City, which has a $2.1 million recycled water project in the works, and the Montara Water and Sanitary District, which previously requested $25,000 to prevent stormwater from flowing into the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Other Bay Area projects in this special category include a stormwater project in downtown Oakland, a recycled water pipeline project in Mountain View near Moffett Field, and a Bay Area-wide project for wetland design to minimize mercury contamination. The State Water Board won't receive the stimulus funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency until late April and has not yet approved any projects, according to spokeswoman Judie Panneton. The emphasis on "shovel-ready" jobs and on projects with environmental focus also bodes well for the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District, which saw many ongoing coastal restoration projects frozen last month and its budget slashed, resulting in severe staff cuts. The agency has put in a request to continue with an important Pillar Point Harbor water contamination study that was halted abruptly, and is asking for as much as $750,000 to repair dirt roads along Pilarcitos Creek near Half Moon Bay, which would make them more drivable as well as limit the sediment flow that disrupts steelhead trout habitat. "This shovel-ready requirement is difficult to meet. I know a lot of people don't have permits sitting around, waiting to complete a project," said Kellyx Nelson, executive director of the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District. Securing a portion of the "clean water" funds from the Department of Public Health could make a big difference for cities like Hillsborough and Burlingame, whose aging water and sewer pipes have led to alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and subsequent lawsuits from San Francisco Baykeeper, a pollution watchdog group. Hillsborough requested as much as $15 million for a complete overhaul of its conveyance and storage system as recently as 2006, according to state records. "The infrastructure improvements are important and worth federal funding, especially if the agency doesn't have the money on their own to make the upgrades," said Sejal Choksi, director of programs for Baykeeper. California will also receive a portion of federal stimulus money allotted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials are going to ask for as much as $10 million for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the first phase of which was set to begin last month when its state funding was frozen. Those state funds may now be lost forever, project manager Steve Ritchie said. "The federal dollars are really important to maintain the momentum of the project. If we don't get it, we will have to wait for state money and the longer we wait, the more things will get dragged down in the mud." |
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