Rancho california water district, located in riverside county, california, will design a treatment process to address high arsenic levels affecting the availability of reliable local drinking water…

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded Rancho California Water District $850,000 on February 23, 2026, under the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507) to design and implement a treatment process addressing high arsenic levels in the district's groundwater supplies.

Well 240, which closed in 2021 due to naturally occurring arsenic contamination, will be restored to service through the funded treatment design. The project targets restoring up to 2,900 acre-feet per year of reliable local drinking water supplies for over 150,000 urban water users in Riverside County, California. The work aligns with the district's 2015 Water Facilities Master Plan and supports climate resilience and emergency preparedness objectives. Period of performance runs through February 28, 2027. Work is performed in California. The district executes the project using its own trained internal staff and district-owned resources and equipment with no sub-recipients.

Rancho california water district, located in riverside county, california, will design a treatment process to address high arsenic levels affecting the availability of reliable local drinking water supplies for over 150,000 urban water users. In addition to climate change and drought conditions, the districts local supplies are threatened by arsenic, a naturally occurring element, detected in well 240, leading to its closure in 2021. Through this project, the district will work towards restoring up to 2,900 acre-feet per year of reliable local water supplies through well 240. The project has high stakeholder engagement and aligns with the district s 2015 water facilities master plan identifying this project as a top priority to stabilize groundwater production and increase emergency preparedness.