Coachella Valley Granted $1.5 M To Update Water Pipelines

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — Rep. Raul Ruiz and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $1.5 million grant Thursday for the Coachella Valley Water District to update its infrastructure.

"Safe, clean drinking water is essential for our public health and the well-being of our children," Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, said in a statement. "By modernizing our outdated water pipelines, this $1.5 million federal grant will make a positive difference in my constituents' lives and ensure they have an adequate supply of clean drinking water."

CVWD received the grant money through two USDA programs -- the Water and Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias and the Appalachian Regional Commission Grants.

"USDA believes that people everywhere, regardless of where they live, should have peace of mind using basic community infrastructure, whether that means drinking safe water or having equipment to learn skills for a new career," USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small said in a statement.