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The U.S. federal government has allocated $131 million in funding to upgrade key infrastructure within California’s Central Valley water system, including a significant electrical modernization project at the O’Neill Pumping Plant.

A major portion of the funding—approximately $53 million—will be used for a main transformer replacement project at the facility, which is part of the federally operated Central Valley Project managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The upgrade is intended to improve the reliability and efficiency of power delivery that supports large-scale water pumping operations.

Additional funding will support related upgrades, including $11 million for unit improvements at the pumping plant and broader system enhancements across the region’s water infrastructure.

The overall funding package, secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, also includes improvements to the Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Correction Project, which will receive $65.8 million.

According to U.S. Representative Jim Costa (CA-21), the investments are aimed at strengthening long-term water and energy reliability for California’s Central Valley, a region heavily dependent on coordinated water delivery and pumping systems.

Officials say the transformer replacement is a critical component of maintaining stable operations at the O’Neill Pumping Plant, which relies on high-capacity electrical equipment to move water through the state’s infrastructure network.

Source: yahoo.com