The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)
program accelerates investment in our nation's water
infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental
loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

PURE WATER SOQUEL

BORROWER: Soquel Creek Water District
LOCATION: Soquel, CA

WIFIA LOAN AMOUNT: $88.9 million
POPULATION SERVED BY SYSTEM: 92,130 people
NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED: 581 jobs

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Pure Water Soquel is a water reuse project that will use proven, state-of-the-science
technology to purify recycled water, producing safe, high-quality drinking water and providing a
reliable, sustainable, and drought-resistant water supply. The purpose of the Project is to
provide a regional water supply to meet current and future demands, create a barrier against
seawater intrusion into the aquifer, and ensure a sustainable groundwater basin to meet the
California State Mandate by 2040. By utilizing recycled water, the Project will reduce discharges
of treated wastewater to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and lessen the need for
potential future diversions from the San Lorenzo River and other sensitive waterways.

PROJECT BENEFITS

•	Lowers the degree of overdraft conditions in the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater
Basin to help meet the region's Groundwater Sustainability Plan by 2040.

•	Recycles treated wastewater and reduces treated wastewater discharges to the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary by 25 percent,

•	Replenishes the critically overdrafted Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin with
purified recycled water to increase water supply and prevent seawater intrusion.

•	Produces significant economic and environmental benefits to the community.

•	Saves the City of Soquel an estimated $66.7 million from financing with a WIFIA loan
compared to typical market financing.

WIFIA

PROGRAM

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Environmental Protection
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WEBSITE: www.epa.gov/wifia
EMAIL: wifia@EPA.gov


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