WASHINGTON – Congressman McCarthy voted for the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, which if enacted, would authorize the federal government to invest $10 million for the Regional Reclaimed Wastewater Distribution System in Lancaster, California.

“As Lancaster grows, we must proactively invest in our future through smart infrastructure projects,” said McCarthy. “I fought to include this investment in this bill and I am pleased that Congress prioritized the Regional Reclaimed Wastewater Distribution System for federal support.”

The Regional Reclaimed Wastewater Distribution System is a $12.5 million project, which involves the design and construction of approximately 25 miles of water main, and is part of a larger $212.5 million project to upgrade current wastewater treatment plants to meet Lancaster’s population growth. Through these improvements, estimates indicate that the City could eventually reclaim as much as six million gallons a day that is currently lost through evaporation. With the new plant, instead of wasting water, the saved water would be provided to existing and planned public facilities, such as public parks, sports fields, schools, and cemeteries throughout northern Los Angeles County.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495) passed by a vote of 394 to 25. This legislation, known as WRDA, authorizes approximately $15 billion for water resources studies and construction projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed its version of the bill, but have yet to pass this bill out of the full Senate.

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