This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to ensure vibrant and thriving communities in the project area by delivering a long-term, sustainable, and climate-resilient…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 awarded $20 million in full federal funding on April 1, 2025, to the Community Water Center under the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CFDA 66.616) to establish a climate-resilient drinking water system serving the Pajaro, Sunny Mesa, and Springfield communities in Watsonville, California. The project implements a pollution reduction strategy that consolidates three separate water systems into a single integrated system operated by the Pajaro Sunny Mesa Community Services District (PSMCSD). Core infrastructure deliverables include construction of an iron and manganese treatment facility for Pajaro Well No. 1, flood vulnerability upgrades to the well site, a pump station connecting the Pajaro system to Sunny Mesa, rehabilitation of the Pajaro tank, inter-system pipelines, and implementation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system with radio-read meters for efficient operations management.

Beyond the consolidation infrastructure, the project incorporates a climate action strategy through distributed water conservation measures, including residential rainwater catchment systems at 30 households and laundry-to-landscape greywater reuse systems at 20 households. The Community Water Center will maintain ongoing community engagement throughout project implementation. The project includes provisions for a second phase to consolidate private well households around Springfield with the combined system. The award is authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act and designed to deliver long-term, sustainable drinking water infrastructure while advancing environmental justice and climate resilience in an underserved community.

This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to ensure vibrant and thriving communities in the project area by delivering a long-term, sustainable, and climate-resilient drinking water system. This vision will be accomplished through both a pollution reduction strategy and a climate action strategy. The pollution reduction strategy will consolidate the pajaro, sunny mesa, and springfield water systems into one more resilient drinking water system operated by pajaro sunny mesa community services district. The combined system will supply safe drinking water and lay the groundwork for consolidation of private well households around springfield with the combined system in a second phase of the project. This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $20,000,000. See terms and conditions. Activities:through this project, the community water center (CWC) and its statutory partner pajaro sunny mesa community services district (PSMCSD) will implement a drinking water consolidation project resulting in safe and reliable drinking water for the pajaro, sunny mesa and springfield water systems. The consolidation project will include construction of an iron and manganese treatment facility for pajaro well no. 1, upgrades to the pajaro well no. 1 site to reduce vulnerability to flooding, a pump station to pump water from the pajaro to the sunny mesa system, rehabilitation of the pajaro tank, and pipelines to connect the three systems. The consolidation project will also include the implementation of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and radio-read meters to allow for efficient operation of the resulting combined system. In addition to the consolidation project, CWC will implement residential rainwater catchment at 30 households and laundry-to-landscape greywater reuse at 20 households. Throughout the project, CWC will continue to outreach to and engage community members in the drinking water consolidation project, residential water efficiency measures, and efforts to sustainably manage groundwater resources in the area. Outreach and engagement will include at least 12 community meetings, one-on-one engagement with at least 80 community members per quarter, and development and distribution of at least 12 informational materials. In addition to project implementation, CWC will manage the overall project, coordinate with project partners, and provide progress reports as required by environmental protection agency (EPA).subrecipient:construction will be completed through subaward to statutory partner pajaro sunny mesa community services district (PSMCSD). CWC and its statutory partner PSMCSD will implement a drinking water consolidation project resulting in safe and reliable drinking water for the pajaro, sunny mesa and springfield water systems. The consolidation project will include construction of an iron and manganese treatment facility for pajaro well no. 1, upgrades to the pajaro well no. 1 site to reduce vulnerability to flooding, a pump station to pump water from the pajaro to the sunny mesa system, rehabilitation of the pajaro tank, and pipelines to connect the three systems. The consolidation project will also include the implementation of a SCADA system and radio-read meters to allow for efficient operation of the resulting combined system. Outcomes:the project will provide a safe, resilient, and affordable water supply to an estimated 5,170 disadvantaged unincorporated community (DUC) residents served by the resulting combined pajaro-sunny mesa-springfield system. Residents currently served by the sunny mesa system will no longer have unsafe levels of chrome-6 in their drinking water, and will not need to depend on bottled water with its associated greenhouse gas emissions. The combined system with SCADA and radio-read meters will be more efficient, easier to operate, and less vulnerable to flooding. The consolidation will also put infrast