EPA Loans Coachella Valley Water District $59 Million for Stormwater Control

The Coachella Valley Water District and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday signed an agreement for a $59.1 million loan to finance improvements to the district’s 134-mile stormwater system that drains into the Salton Sea. CVWD has 35 years to pay back the money, made available through the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, which began doling out low-interest loans in 2017. The funding will help pay for two projects in the valley — one to increase the canal’s capacity between Coachella and Thermal and another that will build 3.3 miles of channel near Shadow Hills.