Under this agreement, the recipient shall construct the driver road pipeline

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District (SSJMUD) a $4.34 million Project Grant on June 25, 2025, under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program (CFDA 15.514) to construct the Driver Road Pipeline. This infrastructure project involves installing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipeline infrastructure in Kern County, California, running south on Driver Road and west on 9th Avenue between specified coordinates. The pipeline will connect to three existing turnouts along the conveyance system to increase conveyance capacity for delivering wet year surface water supplies to an existing 80-acre recharge basin while maintaining ongoing irrigation deliveries to the region.

The project scope includes major construction components consisting of trench excavation, bedding preparation, backfill and compaction, installation of pipe and casing with tie-ins to the existing mainline lateral, pressure testing of the pipeline system, and site restoration. The project timeline extends from the award date through May 31, 2026. This infrastructure improvement supports SSJMUD's broader drought resilience strategy for California's San Joaquin Valley by capturing and managing excess surface water during wet years for groundwater recharge, directly addressing regional drought challenges and reducing dependence on reduced water deliveries from the state's water storage systems.

The recipient will install PVC pipeline and connect pipeline to three existing turnouts along the conveyance system, to add conveyance capacity to deliver wet year surface supplies to the existing 80-acre recharge basin while maintaining irrigation deliveries. The project begins at coordinates 3546 59.3 n, 11912 19.2 w and ends at coordinates 3546 07.1 n, 11912 35.1 w. The pipeline will run south on driver road and west on 9TH avenue. The major components of the project include but are not limited to: trench excavation and bedding preparation, backfill, and compaction installation of pipe and casing, including tie-in to existing mainline lateral and pressure testing of pipeline site restoration