The City of Santa Paula is proud to announce that Congresswoman Julia Brownley presented a check today for $959,752 to the City of Santa Paula. This significant funding will support the Mesa Tanks Replacement Project, a crucial initiative aimed at ensuring the City’s water infrastructure meets the highest standards of reliability and safety.
The Mesa Tanks Replacement Project is a comprehensive effort to replace two deteriorating water tanks, identified in a 2017 report by the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water as being in poor condition. The total cost of the project is estimated at $5.5 million.
Mayor Leslie Cornejo expressed her gratitude and highlighted the importance of this project for the community. “This funding underscores our commitment to maintaining clean drinking water sources for the residents of Santa Paula,” said Mayor Cornejo. “By replacing the aging Mesa tanks with new, reinforced structures, we are not only improving our water storage capacity but also enhancing our ability to support our growing community needs and firefighting efforts.”
The project involves the construction of two 300,000-gallon above-ground welded steel potable water storage tanks, alongside necessary improvements such as the installation of a cast-in-place concrete retaining wall, waterline installation and electronic operational control and security upgrades.
Additionally, the Mesa Tanks Project ties into a separate upcoming capital improvement initiative, the Crosstown Pipeline Project. This $15 million project, which Congresswoman Brownley is supporting as a 2025 Community Project Request with $2 million in funding, will enhance water transmission through a new 20-inch diameter, 8,000-foot long buried PVC pipeline which will significantly improve capacity, flow and reliability in a system that serves 80% of the City’s population, linking newer and existing water supply systems for a more efficient water delivery network across the City.
The tanks play a critical role in the community by providing essential water storage for both potable water and fire suppression. Additionally, the tanks support City of Santa Paula water customers as well as key facilities such as the Ventura County Medical Center, ensuring reliable clean drinking water availability in both standard and emergency scenarios.
The importance of this project is further underscored by Santa Paula’s susceptibility to wildfire risks. In recent years, fires like the Thomas Fire in December 2017 have highlighted the need for dependable water resources to combat such threats. The Mesa Tanks are integral to the City’s firefighting capacity and their replacement will significantly enhance the community’s ability to respond to future emergencies.
“We deeply appreciate Congresswoman Brownley’s steadfast support and dedication to Santa Paula,” said Deputy City Manager Jonathan Royas. “Securing this federal funding allows us to swiftly implement vital capital improvement projects such as the Harvard Blvd. Water Mainline and Pavement Replacement Project and the MESA Tanks Project, significantly benefiting our community.”
Support for the project extends beyond Congresswoman Brownley’s office as Ventura County Supervisor Kelly Long and the Ventura County Fire Department also backed this vital initiative.
Residents are encouraged to follow the progress of the Mesa Tanks Replacement Project on the City’s website at The MESA Tank Replacement Project website.