The Groundwater Replenishment System in Orange County will receive $2.5 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2005, according to an appropriations bill signed into law in December by President Bush.

The Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System in Orange County will receive $2.5 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2005, according to an appropriations bill signed into law in December by President Bush. The $2.5 million grant is part of $20 million authorized for the project by Congress in 2000. To date, the Groundwater Replenishment System has received $12 million of federal funding.

"By continuing to support this project with federal funds, Congress is agreeing with the people of Orange County to move forward on this very important undertaking," said Phil Anthony, president of the Orange County Water District.

The GWR system is a joint project of the county's water and sanitation districts and will provide approximately 23 billion gallons of water each year for the county beginning in 2007. The system will take highly treated sewer water from the sanitation district, currently sent to the ocean, and purify it to near-distilled water quality. The water will be used to expand an existing underground water barrier, which helps prevent seawater from intruding into the groundwater basin, and will also be naturally filtered into the underground storage basin by the water district.

Using high-tech membrane purification systems backed by ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide disinfection, the system will purify sewer water to a level similar to bottled water.