This agreement provides funding to the city of rialto to implement its rialto nature habitat center project as directed in the 2023 consolidated appropriations act

EPA Region 9 awarded a $2 million Cooperative Agreement to the City of Rialto on June 1, 2026, under the Congressionally Mandated Projects program (CFDA 66.202) to design and construct a publicly accessible constructed wetlands system at the City's wastewater treatment plant in the Upper Santa Ana River Watershed.

The project consists of wastewater treatment plant infrastructure improvements, including a lined lake system and recreational site improvements, at the Rialto WWTP located in San Bernardino County, California. The constructed wetlands will improve water quality by removing microplastics and other pollutants through settling as wastewater flows through the system prior to discharge into the Rialto Channel, providing benefits to downstream ecosystems within the Santa Ana River watershed. Intended beneficiaries include residents of the City of Rialto and communities downstream of the treatment plant.

The award is fully federally funded with $2 million obligated. Performance runs through December 31, 2030, with work performed in Rialto, California. Deliverables include quarterly construction progress reports, a final project report, and a final walkthrough by EPA or an EPA contractor. No sub-awards are included in this agreement.

This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $2,000,000. See terms and conditions. Activities:the activities to be performed include creating a publicly-accessible constructed wetlands at the rialto wastewater treatment plant (wwtp) located in the upper santa ANA river watershed in SAN bernardino county, california. Workplan activities consist of wastewater treatment plant infrastructure improvements including a lined lake system and recreational site improvements. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include quarterly reports detailing construction progress, final project report, and a final walk through by EPA and/or an EPA contractor. The expected outcomes include water quality improvement by the removal of pollutants such as microplastics due to settling out of suspended water as the flow progresses through the system prior to discharge in the rialto channel. This provides benefits to the downstream ecosystems within the santa ANA river watershed that depend on the discharge of the wwtp effluent for survival. The intended beneficiaries include residents of the city of rialto and communities downstream of the wastewater treatment plan in the santa ANA river watershed.