Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $25.5 million in federal funding for 17 projects across the San Diego region in the first package of FY 2024 appropriations bills. The package includes the Agriculture; Energy and Water; Military Construction-VA; Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development; Commerce, Justice, and Science; and Interior appropriations bills. The House and Senate will consider the bills this week ahead of the March 8 funding deadline before they are sent to the President to be signed into law.

“I am proud to have secured millions in funding for projects that will improve the quality of life across the San Diego region,” said Senator Padilla. “As we face increasingly severe weather like the atmospheric river last month, these investments will upgrade local stormwater and sewer infrastructure to improve storm resilience and the quality of our water supply. These investments will also support safer streets, more housing, and additional tools combat wildfires.”

Projects across San Diego that will receive federal funding include:

• Scripps Institution of Oceanography Exploration of Offshore DDT Pollution Impacts on Living Marine Resources and Bioremediation Assessment – $6 million: This funding will expand exploration and characterization of DDT in the San Pedro Basin to include the scope and condition of dump sites, the processes that transport and alter composition of the dumped chemicals, and the biological pathways that lead to human exposure.

• Borrego Springs Water Infrastructure Replacement Project – $3.61 million: This funding will accelerate replacement of aging water infrastructure including old waterlines, valves, and fire hydrants to enhance water quality, improve fire protection, and upgrade system reliability.

• Oceanside Harbor Dredging – $3.3 million: This funding will provide for maintenance dredging at the entrance to both Oceanside Harbor and U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Harbor.

• UC San Diego Wildfire Technology Commons – $1.93 million: This funding will support Wildfire Technology Commons, which seeks to prevent destruction from wildfires by using data and AI as tools for next-generation fire models and mapping.

• City of San Diego’s Shelter Expansion Project – $1.5 million: This funding will be used for capital improvements on the conversion of an existing office building into a shelter that will serve 45 individuals experiencing homelessness.

• Landes Community Center and Park Improvement Master Plan – $1 million: This funding will support development of a master plan to improve Landes Community Center and park in Oceanside.

• Grand Avenue Improvements in Escondido – $1 million: This project will improve pedestrian safety and reduce vehicular traffic in the City of Escondido’s main downtown corridor.

• County of Imperial Gentry Road Bridge Rehabilitation Project – $1 million: This project will rehabilitate a 45-year-old concrete slab bridge on Gentry Road at the New River in Imperial County.

• City of Del Mar for Stormwater and Sewer Improvement Project – $959,752: This funding will support the removal and replacement of the city’s most critical water, sewer, and storm drain infrastructure.

• National City Wells Iron and Manganese Removal System Project – $959,752: This project will improve the water quality for a disadvantaged community by removing groundwater minerals that cause customers to receive discolored water.

• Carlsbad Safe Routes to School Improvement Project – $850,000: This funding will support the Carlsbad Safe Routes to School Improvements Project, which will install high-visibility crosswalks and speed cushions on streets around schools. 

• Community Resilience Hub at Montgomery Waller Recreation Center – $850,000: This funding will help establish a Community Resilience Hub at Montgomery Waller Recreation Center in the historically disadvantaged community of Otay Mesa.

• Valley Center Municipal Water District Pipeline Replacement – $715,000: This funding will support a project to replace a 50-year-old pipeline to prevent leaks and contamination of local water supply.

• City of San Diego for Pure Water San Diego Phase 2 Demonstration Facility – $600,000: This funding will construct a demonstration Central Area Small Scale Facility to demonstrate compliance and efficacy of recycled water requirements to assist with the Pure Water Phase 2 project. Pure Water San Diego is a phased, multi-year program to use proven water purification technology to clean recycled water that will provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply locally by the end of 2035.

• San Diego At-Grade Crossing Elimination Study – $500,000: This funding will help analyze potential grade separations and alternative alignments at at-grade rail crossings in and near downtown San Diego.

• San Diego International Airport Electrical Infrastructure Improvements – $500,000: This funding will support improvements to the electrical infrastructure at San Diego International Airport to provide improved reliability and efficiency for the airport’s power supply to prevent disruptions to the airfield, passenger terminals, and other airport facilities.

• Fallbrook Primary Pipeline Replacement – $250,000: This funding will help replace an 80-year-old pipeline which serves Fallbrook Public Utility District residents and the Naval Weapons Station, as well as emergency service to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

More information on these appropriations bills is available here.

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