West County Wastewater unlocks USACE funding for North Richmond living levee design
West County Wastewater District, California · Meeting date: November 4, 2026 · Published: November 6, 2026
West County Wastewater has authorised a Project Partnership Agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers for the North Richmond Wastewater Protection Environmental Infrastructure Project. The agreement activates $1.35 million in federal funding and commits the utility to a 25% non-federal contribution of $441,666.
Key points
- The board approved the USACE Project Partnership Agreement unanimously, 5-0.
- USACE has $1.35 million available for the project, supported by a Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding request from Representative John Garamendi.
- West County Wastewater will provide a $441,666, or 25%, non-federal cost share from sewer service charges.
- The funding is intended to advance the North Richmond Living Levee and Collaborative Shoreline Plan from 65% to 100% design.
- The shoreline project is intended to protect the Water Quality & Resource Recovery Plant and other essential wastewater infrastructure from flooding, sea-level rise and related risks.
Full report
West County Wastewater has approved an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that will allow the federal agency to begin work on the North Richmond Wastewater Protection Environmental Infrastructure Project, a living-levee and shoreline-resilience scheme intended to protect the utility's treatment plant and other critical assets.
The board voted 5-0 on 4 November to authorise the General Manager to execute the Project Partnership Agreement and to provide a required non-federal match of $441,666. The contribution represents 25% of project costs and will be funded through sewer service charges under the utility's Fiscal Year 2026 capital improvement plan.
The agreement activates $1.35 million available from USACE under its Section 219 Environmental Infrastructure programme. The appropriation was secured in the federal Fiscal Year 2026 budget through a Community Project Funding request supported by Representative John Garamendi.
Deputy General Manager Justin Lovell told directors that the agreement would enable USACE to start spending funds to advance the North Richmond shoreline Living Levee project, which is now at 65% design. The federal contribution is intended to bring the design to 100%.
The wider North Richmond Wastewater Protection programme envisages an integrated living levee and shoreline approach along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Its scope considers sea-level rise, coastal flooding, habitat enhancement, potential wetland restoration and public access, while protecting West County Wastewater's Water Quality & Resource Recovery Plant and the surrounding community.
The project has previously received planning, engineering and design support through a San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority grant. Federal support is available under the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, which authorised $45 million for North Richmond Wastewater Protection through the USACE environmental infrastructure programme.
Lovell described the $1.35 million appropriation as the first increment of funding sought under that authorisation. The partnership agreement establishes the scope of federally supported work, the parties' responsibilities and the applicable funding and implementation requirements.
Board members supported delegation to finalise non-substantive revisions to the agreement, with the understanding that any substantive changes would return to the board. Directors characterised the approval as an overdue step toward protecting the utility's shoreline infrastructure.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Board of Directors, West County Wastewater District