Rancho Water Awarded Federal WaterSMART Grant Funding by Rancho California Water District Aug 31, 2022 Member Submitted News TEMECULA – Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water/District) was recently announced as one of only eight award recipients across the nation to receive a grant award under the United States Bureau of Reclamation’s (USBR) WaterSMART-Applied Science Grant program. Rancho Water received the maximum award of $200,000 to advance one of its water management tools on behalf of its customers in Southwest Riverside County. USBR’s Applied Science Grants are part of the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART Program. The grants are awarded to projects that will develop tools and information to support water management and reliability. This year, eight projects were awarded for a total of $1.2 million. Rancho Water’s Integrated Groundwater Wellfield System Project (Project) will enhance the District’s water management tool for the Murrieta-Temecula Groundwater Basin. The Project will provide better hydrologic data and improve basin management efficiency. A critical component to this effort will be the installation of additional remote sensing equipment at 26 wells within the Pauba Valley which will gather more accurate data on groundwater levels and well pumping efficiency. The Project will also facilitate greater data collection frequency. These additions will allow Rancho Water to more effectively monitor groundwater supplies and the overall health of the basin, helping to optimize well operations and costs. “We are grateful to the USBR for this generous award and for their ongoing partnership,” said Robert Grantham, General Manager of Rancho Water. “Maintaining a reliable water supply system is a top priority for the District. To that end, we must continue to be innovative. Rancho Water has always been at the forefront of technology. This upcoming project gives us the ability to harness data and make informed operational decisions to protect our groundwater basin and minimize ongoing costs.” This $200,000 grant is part of more than $90 million in Rancho Water’s awarded and proposed grants and federal funding. The Project is part of the District’s larger technology program and is estimated to be completed within two years. For more information on the Applied Science Grants program, visit usbr.gov/watersmart/appliedscience. To learn more about Rancho Water, visit RanchoWater.com. ### About Rancho California Water District: The mission of Rancho Water is to deliver reliable, high-quality water, wastewater, and reclamation services to its customers and communities in a prudent and sustainable manner. Rancho Water is a local, independent Special District, organized on August 16, 1965, servicing approximately 150 square miles and about 45,000 service connections in Temecula, Murrieta, and parts of unincorporated Riverside County.