Jennifer Vigil - The Sweetwater Authority’s Water Reclamation Project will receive a $1.5 million federal grant to expand a desalination plant, according to Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, leading to greater capacity and expanded access to local water for San Diego County.

“This grant will help reduce our region’s reliance on imported water and improve our local water security, an effort that will only become more important as we combat the harmful drought that our state is facing,” Rep. Peters said of the funding for the Reynolds desalination facility. “I’m also proud that this expanded capacity will benefit users across multiple water jurisdictions, including those in the 52nd District.”

Peters, whose district includes several San Diego communities along with Coronado and Poway, also announced the passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, the first since 2007.

It provides funding for water and ports nationwide, including the Unified Port of San Diego, and Peters said it will “create high-quality jobs in the process.”

The agreement was passed unanimously in a House and Senate conference committee before the House approved it Tuesday, according to Peters’ office. It’s provisions include protections for the environment and funding for dredging, berthing, sediment clean up and port upgrades.

Peters also added terms to the bill to require the Army Corps of Engineers to coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to inform the public about sites where they are managing flood risk, an activity he maintains “will save taxpayer dollars and potentially lives.”