On Thursday, September 25, 2025, the City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department will hold a groundbreaking for the Delta Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) Groundwater Recharge Project. The ceremony will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at 11373 North Lower Sacramento Road.
The DWTP began operation in May 2012 and provides up to 30 million gallons per day of treated potable water from the San Joaquin Delta and Mokelumne River to nearly 200,000 customers. The DWTP was designed, in part, to protect the groundwater basin through conjunctive management of water resources and to improve Stockton’s water supply reliability portfolio. The construction of groundwater recharge basins adjacent to the treatment plant will increase the City’s conjunctive management capacity.
When complete, the Groundwater Recharge Project will allow the City to directly recharge the groundwater basin. Water recharged into the groundwater basin can be stored and pumped during dry years or extended droughts. The basins will also help to balance groundwater levels in the critically over-drafted Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Subbasin to help meet the Region’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requirements.
"This project is a critical investment in the long-term sustainability of our water supply. By capturing and storing more water during wet periods, we are strengthening Stockton’s resilience to drought, reducing reliance on local sources, and securing a more reliable future for our community and the environment," said Municipal Utilities Director Dr. Mel Lytle. “The project is a smart, forward-looking solution that reflects our commitment to responsible water stewardship and climate adaptation.”
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is proud to partner with the City of Stockton to prepare for future weather extremes by managing our groundwater to capture and store as much water as possible”, said DWR Sustainable Water Management Deputy Director Paul Gosselin. “The project is an example of successful collaboration between agencies to invest in projects to improve water supply reliability while promoting groundwater sustainability for future generations.”
Normal operations will continue at the water treatment plant during construction to ensure existing water deliveries. Construction of this $17 million project includes the design and construction of groundwater recharge basins. Additionally, a new public visitor center will feature native plants, artful interpretive displays and accessible walkways to make environmental concepts engaging for the community.
The City has secured grant funding for the Groundwater Recharge Project, including the DWR Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Round 1 grant program and the Integrated Regional Water Management Program totaling $2,300,000, and $400,000 from the United States Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART: Water and Energy Efficiency Grant. Construction of the Groundwater Recharge Project is expected to begin in the fall of 2025.
For additional information, please contact the City of Stockton Public Information Officer or visit www.stocktonca.gov/groundwater.
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