The bill incorporates the Drought Resiliency Investment Act, cosponsored by Padilla, to combat drought and protect the water supply of millions of Americans living in California and other western states. The bill would create a grant program for large-scale water recycling projects in California and the other sixteen western states and would allow federal funding to be used for an increased range of activities to plan for and mitigate against impacts from drought.
Create a federal grant program to support large-scale water recycling projects and expand federal funding for planning and mitigating drought impacts in California and other western states.
Occurrences
Evidence
On February 4, 2026, Senator Alex Padilla introduced the MORE WATER Act and the GROW SMART Act to address water supply challenges in California and the American West. The MORE WATER Act aims to reauthorize expiring Bureau of Reclamation programs supporting water recycling projects and create a new federal grant program to repair California's water delivery system. The GROW SMART Act seeks to fund voluntary demonstration projects for innovative agricultural water efficiency measures and partnerships.
On May 28, 2024, Senator Padilla announced $159 million in federal funding for three large-scale water recycling projects in Southern California. This funding, delivered through a program Padilla secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supports projects like the Metropolitan Water District's Pure Water Southern California, which aims to build the largest recycling facility in the world.
On December 18, 2024, the Senate passed a legislative package containing provisions secured by Senator Padilla to bolster California's water infrastructure. The package includes the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which authorizes $200 million for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County to address transboundary sewage issues and $20 million for salmon recovery and habitat restoration around the Sacramento River Basin.
On June 28, 2023, Senator Padilla introduced the Voluntary Agricultural Land Repurposing Act, aiming to build drought resiliency and reduce water use by providing federal funding to states and tribes that work to voluntarily repurpose certain agricultural lands. This legislation seeks to address water scarcity challenges in the West by supporting programs that reduce consumptive water use and provide environmental or community benefits.
On October 25, 2021, Senator Padilla announced securing nearly $20 million in federal funding for eight California water infrastructure projects, ocean research, and ecological restoration programs. This includes $3 million for a water recycling facility and PFAS treatment project in Riverside and $2.4 million for the Doheny Desalination Slant Well Project in Orange County.
On July 23, 2021, Senators Padilla and Feinstein introduced the Water Reuse and Resiliency Act, aiming to authorize $1 billion over five years for the EPA's Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Projects grants program. This funding increase is intended to promote groundwater recharge, stormwater capture and reuse, and water recycling projects to improve resiliency against drought.
On February 20, 2026, Senator Padilla announced securing over $24.3 million in federal funding for 25 projects across Los Angeles and Orange County. This includes $3.24 million for the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund to continue cleanup activities and address orphan sites where no responsible party is identified.
Padilla said the Senate-passed drinking water bill included his amendment to make water sustainability and water recycling projects eligible for EPA funding, and to allow recycled water projects to apply for EPA construction funding even if they had received Bureau of Reclamation feasibility funding.
Congress.gov shows Padilla introduced S.2454, the Water Reuse and Resiliency Act of 2021, whose stated purpose was to reauthorize a pilot program for alternative water source projects that provides grants for water-supply needs.
The Bureau of Reclamation announcement says $159 million was delivered for three large-scale water recycling projects and that the funding came from a new federal program Padilla secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support large-scale water recycling and innovative water reuse projects across the West.
Padilla introduced S. 3738, stating that the MORE Water Act would reauthorize the large-scale water recycling and reuse program and create a new federal grant program to repair California’s water delivery system.
Following pressure from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), the Bureau of Reclamation announced it will invest approximately $52 million from the Hoover Dam Post Retirement Benefit fund.
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff introduced the Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act of 2026 to expedite the control and eradication of golden mussels in California water systems.
Assessments
The promise was to create or secure a federal grant program for large-scale water recycling and expand federal drought-resilience funding for California and other western states. The strongest evidence says a new federal program Padilla secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivered $159 million for three large-scale Southern California water recycling projects in May 2024, directly matching the core grant-program commitment. Additional same-term evidence shows Padilla introduced and advanced related water reuse, recycling, drought resilience, agricultural efficiency, and water infrastructure funding measures. Because the key program existed and funded qualifying projects during Padilla's Senate term, this counts as delivered in the same term rather than merely attempted.
Padilla promised to create or expand federal support for large-scale water recycling and drought resilience in California and western states. The evidence shows both legislative effort and an enacted/delivering outcome during his Senate term: a new federal program secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was already delivering $159 million for three large-scale Southern California water recycling projects by May 2024. Additional evidence shows Padilla introduced and advanced related water reuse, drought resilience, and water infrastructure bills and amendments. Because the core promised grant-program/funding outcome existed and funded qualifying projects during his federal term, this counts as delivered in the same term.
Multiple pieces of evidence show that Senator Padilla both introduced and secured passage of legislation and federal funds for large-scale water recycling and drought mitigation projects in California and the West during the same term as the promise. He introduced several relevant bills, many of which resulted in the appropriation and delivery of significant federal grants to large-scale projects directly fitting the promise's criteria. Efforts spanned both legislative initiatives and tangible funding outcomes, satisfying the campaign commitment.