EPA Recognizes Excellence and Innovation in Bay Area and San Diego Area Water Infrastructure Projects
SAN FRANCISCO (April 9, 2026) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing 48 water infrastructure projects nationwide for excellence and innovation, including a desalination project in Antioch, California, a water recycling facility in Escondido, California, and a reclamation facility on the Yavapai Apache Nation in Camp Verde, Arizona. These projects, financed in part by EPA investment through state revolving fund (SRF) programs, demonstrate the importance of water infrastructure for supporting healthy Americans and laying a foundation for economic prosperity.
“Especially here in the dry Southwest, we are thrilled to recognize projects that strengthen the reliability of water supplies,” said Acting EPA Pacific Southwest Region Administrator Michael Martucci. “EPA will continue supporting funding programs that deliver affordable water and wastewater projects in innovative and effective ways.”
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs have provided a foundation of federal investment in water infrastructure for decades. The SRF programs directly support EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, which emphasizes the need for clean air, land, and water for every American and the importance of cooperative federalism.
Drinking Water: AQUARIUS Awards – Antioch, Calif. Desalination
EPA’s AQUARIUS program is celebrating 22 drinking water projects financed in part by the DWSRFs that are innovative, resilient, and protect public health. Among these, the City of Antioch is receiving the Excellence in Infrastructure Designed for the Future award. To reduce dependence on purchased water and maintain a reliable drinking water supply during times of drought, the City of Antioch financed a brackish desalination plant with a $60 million DWSRF construction loan and a state grant.
Clean Water: PISCES Awards – Escondido, Calif. Water Recycling
EPA’s George F. Ames PISCES program is celebrating innovation demonstrated by 26 wastewater and stormwater projects financed by the CWSRF programs. These include an award to the City of Escondido for an Exceptional Project. The City of Escondido financed a membrane filtration reverse osmosis facility with a $45 million CWSRF loan to deliver recycled water for agricultural and landscape irrigation. The innovative facility improves regional resilience, strengthens local agriculture, and advances statewide water reuse goals.
EPA also awarded the Yavapai Apache Nation an Exceptional Projects Honorable Mention. To reduce the demand on limited surface and groundwater supplies, the Yavapai Apache Nation financed a transformational upgrade at the Middle Verde Water Reclamation Facility with $16 million CWSRF assistance and augmented by Tribal and federal support. The project produces Class A+ reclaimed effluent to replace a failing lagoon, while safeguarding culturally and environmentally significant water resources and improving public health outcomes.
See the full list of recognized projects across the nation and learn more about the AQUARIUS and PISCES programs.
Background
The SRF programs are EPA-state partnerships that provide communities with low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality and drinking water infrastructure projects. The SRFs have provided over $265 billion in financial assistance to more than 50,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 76,000 drinking water projects across the country.
Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.