Project summary

Western Water is expanding its local water portfolio by investigating the viability of a new well in the City of Riverside. Early testing suggests this well site could become a dependable source of high-quality water to address irrigation needs now and in the future.

Construction of the well requires intermittent water discharging to test pumping equipment at various volumes. Western Water is responsibly discharging the water into the nearest stormwater inlet, approximately .4 miles from the well site at the corner of Madison Street. The water will be put into underground aquifers to be shared with the surrounding region. Water will be highly visible in the street gutters while it travels downstream to the storm drain, especially during large-volume testing, necessitating traffic control and temporary one-lane road closure heading eastbound on Magnolia Avenue from Madison Street. 

Most recent updates

The project will start the drilling process during the week of April 10 and will continue through July 2023.

• Click on this link to view the current timeline for the project.
• Click on this link to view the impact map of the one-lane road closure heading eastbound on Magnolia Avenue from Madison Street.
• Click on this link to view the postcard that was mailed to the impacted area/neighborhoods.

Estimated Timeline

Project benefits

When in service, it will reduce the volume of water Western needs to import from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, improve water reliability as a local water source, and can provide up to 1 million gallons of water per day.