The Goleta Water District unveiled its new “Hope Well” during a tour on Tuesday of the site with Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior Laura Daniel-Davis, whose agency added $2 million to the $6.5 million project cost. The funding, loudly announced by a sign at the well site, comes from a portion of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase drought and wildfire resilience across the Western United States.
“I get a lot of questions about ‘Where’s the money going; what have you seen?’” Daniel-Davis said. “So it’s so nice for me to be able to get out and see for myself.”
The Hope Well is the district’s first new well in more than 40 years and serves as the primary step in replacing and restoring the district’s 50- to 60-year-old wells. Without new wells, the district faces “endless cycle of droughts and wildfires” that put water resources at risk, said David Matson, the district’s general manager. The $2 million, granted by the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program, allows more money to be redirected to other district projects that support its aging water infrastructure.