East Valley Water District has received approval from the San Bernardino County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) for the activation of its wastewater treatment authority. This decision allows East Valley Water District to treat wastewater within its service area at the future Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC), a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility designed to create a sustainable water supply for nearly 700,000 people.
“The activation of the District’s wastewater treatment authority enhances our ability to serve our community,” said Chris Carrillo, East Valley Water District Chairman. “East Valley Water District looks forward to the new opportunities ahead of us to be a part of the regional effort to create recycled water for the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin.”
The SNRC will be constructed on a 14-acre parcel of land in Highland, on Del Rosa Drive between East 5th and 6th Streets. The facility will benefit the community through educational opportunities for local students and residents in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs while providing cost-effective wastewater recycling.
“This major milestone in the District’s history provides us with an opportunity to improve the water supply reliability not only for our residents, but for our region,” said John Mura, General Manager/CEO.
With an injection of $126 million into the local economy, the SNRC will kickstart temporary construction jobs and new, permanent positions in and throughout the community. The facility also will result in much-needed infrastructure improvements for the local neighborhood.
In addition to receiving board approval to apply to LAFCO, the SNRC has celebrated a series of project milestones. Most recently, the project secured $126 million in state funding and is in the final stages of selecting a progressive design-build firm to lead construction.