For Immediate Release

10 April 2003

Contact: Daniel Cozad, Deputy General Manager

(909) 354-4220

SAWPA Receives EPA Clean Water Partner Award

Water agency is 1 of 79 in the Nation to Receive Award

Riverside, CA. – The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) has been awarded their Clean Water Partners for the 21st Century Award. SAWPA is one of seventy-nine water agencies from throughout the nation to receive the award and one of two agencies in the Santa Ana Watershed. One of SAWPA’s member agencies, the Orange County Water District also won the award for their water reclamation projects.

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman and Assistant Administrator for Water G. Tracy Mehan III honored local water pollution control agencies from across the United States with the Clean Water Partners for the 21st Century Award. As part of the celebration of the Year of Clean Water proclaimed by President George W. Bush, EPA recognized extraordinary actions taken by local governments to protect watersheds beyond the requirements of the Clean Water Act – actions such as protecting and restoring rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands and initiating innovative local pollution prevention programs.

The EPA provided the award to he Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority for “developing a goal-oriented program to ensure the region is self-sufficient during drought cycles. To meet this goal, Santa Ana has secured $250 million to implement the following initiatives: water storage facilities; water quality improvement programs; water recycling programs; flood protection programs; wetlands, environment and habitat construction; and recreation and conservation programs.”

Congressman Ken Calvert of Riverside accepted the Clean Water Partners for the 21st Century Award on behalf of SAWPA.

“We are very proud to receive the Clean Water Partners Award from the EPA,” state SAWPA Chairman Al Lopez. “Our Integrated Watershed Program is very unique in that it has board support from all of the major water stakeholders because it will drought proof the region while enhancing the environment.”

SAWPA is composed of five member agencies that are the major water wholesalers in the Watershed, including the Eastern Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Orange County Water District, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and Western Municipal Water District.  Its total area, 2,650 square miles in all, brings in much of Orange County, the major population centers of western Riverside and southwestern San Bernardino Counties and a sliver of Los Angeles County.

“The Year of Clean Water provides us with a tremendous opportunity to recognize the hard work, sacrifice, and leadership of local agencies from across the country,” said Whitman. “These award-winners have set a strong example for future clean water efforts, and we look forward to working with our partners toward our shared goals to reduce water pollution and ensure cleaner, purer water for all Americans.”

“We received about 200 applications from across the U.S., and after careful review, 79 were chosen as Clean Water Partners,” said Mehan. “It is our belief that clean water begins at the local level. We applaud the efforts of all Clean Water Partners to improve the environment in the communities they serve.”

Related Links:

http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/headline_040103.htm

http://www.cleanwaterpartners.org/2003honorees.html#11

Copyright: Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, 2002
Last modified 07/23/2004