ACWA Honors Mojave Water Agency With 2016 Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award

MONTEREY, CA--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) - The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented the prestigious Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award to Mojave Water Agency for its Small Systems Assistance Program.

The award was presented during the annual ACWA Spring Conference & Exhibition in Monterey, where more than 1,600 local water officials are gathered through Friday for programs and panel discussions on a variety of key water issues. Mojave Water Agency was selected from among five finalists to receive the award.

"Mojave's Small Systems Assistance Program is an example of how reaching beyond agency boundaries brings positive benefits to an entire region," said ACWA President Kathleen Tiegs. "The program helps small systems in economically disadvantaged communities secure funding for projects that strengthen and improve individual water systems. This not only helps the small systems, but bolsters water reliability for the entire region."

Through the program, Mojave Water Agency provides small systems with technical assistance and support to secure state and federal funding for crucial projects. To date, the program has facilitated numerous planning and construction grants including a $468,000 State Water Resources Control Board grant to help the Gordon Acres Mutual Water Company in Lucerne Valley address critical water supply and quality issues. Mojave's program may one day serve as a model for other agencies looking to assist small systems.

ACWA's Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award for Excellence is an annual award program that recognizes outstanding achievements by public water agencies. The winning agency has the honor of awarding a $5,000 scholarship to a deserving student in the name of Clair A. Hill, founder of the consulting engineering firm CH2M.

Other finalists for this year's award are:

• Orange County Water District for its Groundwater Replenishment System Initial Expansion. Since 2008, the replenishment system has provided clean drinking water for more than 2.4 million Orange County residents. Its 2015 expansion increased output from 70 million gallons per day to 100 million gallons per day -enough high-quality drinking water for another 250,000 customers.
• Calleguas Municipal Water District for its Calleguas Regional Salinity Management Pipeline. This integrated, multi-benefit project uses treated wastewater and high salinity groundwater to create new potable water supplies, while improving water quality and reducing the region's dependence on imported water.
• City of Roseville for its Intertie and Zone 4 Transfer Pump Stations Project. Responding to record-low levels in Folsom Lake in 2013 and 2014, the City of Roseville developed this emergency pumping project to supply potable groundwater from its well field to residents who normally receive drinking water exclusively from Folsom Lake.
• Santa Margarita Water District for its Cañada Gobernadora Multipurpose Basin Project. This innovative project captures and recycles urban nuisance runoff through a unique multi-functioning 26-acre basin system. The captured water is used for non-potable uses such as irrigation, as well as groundwater recharge, stream stabilization and other uses.

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose more than 430 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.