Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

Funding will improve water quality, upgrade transit infrastructure, provide social support services, and expand educational programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $54 million in federal funding for 24 projects across the Inland Empire in the bipartisan FY 2023 appropriations package. The bill now heads to both chambers of Congress for final passage and then on to the President to be signed into law. 

“I am proud to have secured funding for projects in the Inland Empire to provide clean drinking water, upgrade roads, and make the region more resilient to flooding and drought,” Senator Padilla said. “This funding will support local governments and community organizations that work to directly benefit our neighborhoods. Federal dollars will create jobs and invest in upgraded infrastructure, community safety, and the removal of harmful chemicals from water supplies to improve the quality of life throughout the Inland Empire.”

The appropriations omnibus includes Senator Padilla’s legislation to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to provide grants and work with community and government partners to restore the Salton Sea and improve environmental conditions for surrounding communities. This includes efforts to mitigate dust impacts and improve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.

Projects across the Inland Empire that will receive federal funding through the FY 2023 Appropriations Omnibus include:

• $8.5 million for the Murrieta Creek Flood Control, Environmental Restoration, and Recreation Project
  This project will provide 100-year level of flood protection for the Cities of Murrieta, Temecula, and Wildomar. 

• $4 million for the Fontana Homeless Prevention Resource and Care Center
  This funding will help support the establishment of the Fontana Homelessness Prevention Resource and Care Center, which will provide shelter and supportive services.

• $3.45 million for the Coachella Valley Water District’s Water Consolidation Project
  This project will provide safe drinking water in a disadvantaged community by consolidating mobile home wells currently contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic. 

• $3.45 million for Eastern Municipal Water District’s Well 56 and 57 PFAS Removal
  This project will remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water to restore a secure, local supply of water to over 3,000 households.

• $3.45 million for Western Municipal Water District’s PFAS Treatment and Prevention Project
  This project will repair and seal aging sewer lines to prevent infiltration of PFAS into the sewer system at March Air Reserve Base.

• $3 million for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino’s Arrowhead Grove Community Resource Center
  This funding will support rehabilitation and upgrades to the 7th Street community to preserve this affordable housing site for future generations and improve the standard of living for the families who call the community home.

• $3 million for the Inland Valley Development Agency Joint Powers Authority’s 3rd Street Corridor Project
  This project will complete roadway improvements along the north side of 3rd Street between the Victoria Avenue intersection and the Sterling Avenue intersection.

• $2.5 million for the City of Desert Hot Springs’ Bridges Over Water Project
  This project will construct two new bridges over low water crossings along Indian Canyon Drive to help mitigate flooding and prevent road closures during and after rain events.

• $2.5 million for the Quail Valley Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Project
  This project will construct a municipal sewer pipeline to serve a disadvantaged community with failing septic tanks.

• $2.5 million for the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District’s Stormwater Recharge Project
  This project will enhance stormwater capture and recharge from the Santa Ana River.

• $2 million for Auto Center Drive Bridge Improvements in the City of Lake Elsinore
  This project will include required seismic repairs and other upgrades to the Auto Center Drive Bridge in Lake Elsinore.

• $2 million for Cedar Street Improvements in the City of Hesperia
  This project will construct a critical arterial roadway connection on Cedar Avenue to better facilitate traffic movements and improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.

• $2 million to California State University, San Bernardino for Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program
  This funding will help purchase teaching and laboratory equipment for the new Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program.

• $2 million for the Lake Rialto Habitat Management and Community Open Space Project
  This project will promote water quality improvements, ecosystem restoration, and public recreation.

• $2 million for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s First Avenue Bridges Replacement over Mojave River and Overflows
  This project will replace existing bridges on North First Avenue over the Mojave River and the Mojave River Overflow.

• $2 million for Wildwood Canyon Interchange in the City of Yucaipa
  This project will improve access to existing and planned land uses, address future growth in local and regional traffic operations, and provide better access to I-10, which would reduce queues at adjacent local intersections and congested on- and off-ramps.

• $1.2 million for Mecca and North Shore Electric Infrastructure Resiliency Project
  This project will increase the resiliency and reliability of Imperial Irrigation District’s energy infrastructure that serves the rural communities of Mecca and North Shore. This includes retrofit of power lines and upgrades at the North Shore substation.

• $1.28 million for the City of Twentynine Palms Wastewater Treatment Facility Phase III
  This project will construct a wastewater treatment facility in the City of Twentynine Palms, a disadvantaged community.

• $800,000 for the Groundwater Quality Protection Program in Desert Hot Springs
  The Groundwater Quality Protection Program involves water infrastructure upgrades and the transition from thousands of individual septic tank systems to a wastewater collection and treatment system in the greater Desert Hot Springs area. The primary objective of this project is to permanently alleviate wastewater discharge from individuals’ wastewater disposal systems that overlie sensitive groundwater resources in the greater Desert Hot Springs area.

• $800,000 for the City of Montclair’s Police Body-Worn Camera Program
  This funding will purchase police officer body-worn cameras and related equipment to improve transparency and community trust.

• $800,000 for the City of Temecula’s DePortola Road/Jedediah Smith Road Roundabout Project
  The project will install a vehicular roundabout within the City of Temecula to address traffic congestion and delays and improve traffic safety. 

• $515,000 for Forensic Rapid DNA Technology for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office
  This funding will allow the acquisition of new technology to automate and speed-up DNA testing for evidence in criminal cases.

• $500,000 for the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Zero Emission Fuel Cell Line Haul Locomotive Project
  This funding will support the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s project to replace one line-haul locomotive engine with a zero-emission propulsion system and install charging infrastructure.

• $147,000 for Leaven Kids to Expand Services in Riverside and Contra Costa Counties
  This funding will help Leaven Kids expand their service area with two new learning centers in Riverside and Contra Costa Counties to support children with limited or no access to high-quality after-school programs in neighborhoods that are disproportionately impacted by crime, poverty, and a lack of affordable, accessible resources.

A full summary of the FY 2023 Appropriations Omnibus package is available here.

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