[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16767]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

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                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2009

  Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 2996, the Department of 
the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 
2010:
  I originally requested $1 million in this legislation for the El 
Monte Valley Groundwater Recharge Project through the Environmental 
Protection Agency's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Water and 
Wastewater Infrastructure Project account. It is my understanding that 
$500,000 was ultimately appropriated for this project by the 
Subcommittee and the entity to receive funding for this project is the 
Helix Water District located at 7811 University Avenue, La Mesa, 
California 91941.
  This is a groundwater recharge and habitat restoration effort led by 
the Helix Water District where it will secure highly treated wastewater 
from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District's Santee Water Recycling 
Facility, provide additional treatment to purify the wastewater, pump 
and pipe this water to surrounding basins and then release it into the 
San Diego Riverbed where it will be allowed to seep down to existing 
groundwater levels. As the purified water is maintained in this 
location, it will receive additional natural treatment as it percolates 
through native materials. Extraction wells will be installed at 
strategic locations for conveyance to a water treatment plant as a new 
source of water for all District users.
  This action will assist in the continued goals of the San Diego 
County region to reduce its dependence on imported water from the 
Colorado River and Northern California by annually producing 5,000 
acre-feet of locally available drinking water and meeting 10-15% of the 
Helix Water District's raw water needs. By raising the groundwater 
levels in El Monte Valley, revegetation of the riverbed is supported 
and a more natural habitat is created for recreation and wildlife. This 
project is the beginning of an 8-year program and has been endorsed by 
other elected officials, including California Assemblyman Joel Anderson 
and California State Senator Christine Kehoe, as well as the 
Association of California Water Agencies, Endangered Habitats League, 
San Diego County Water Authority, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, 
Otay Water District, and the Lakeside Water District.

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