PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
www.ci.porterville.ca.us/newslist.php
For more information contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
April 21, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE CITY OF PORTERVILLE AND THE TULE RIVER TRIBE EXECUTE AGREEMENT FOR FIRST DUAL-PLUMB FACILITY IN TULARE COUNTY
At its meeting on April 18, 2023, the Porterville City Council authorized the historic Agreement for the Provision of Recycled Water and Provisional Domestic Water for The Tule River Tribe Development Project, better known as the new Eagle Mountain Casino. The development of the 40-acre, multi-phase, casino-resort project required the development of an additional water supply to offset any new demands on the City’s current water supply. In order to establish terms and conditions, the City and Tribe entered into a Development and Reimbursement Agreement for the development and construction of the new water supply, known as Tertiary Wastewater System Facilities (TWSF). City Mayor Martha A. Flores and Tribe Chairman Neil Peyron signed the Agreement at the Council meeting, which establishes the terms of use of both potable and recycled water use for the first dual-plumbed facility in Tulare County. The agreement also addresses proper water recycling cross-connection and controls to ensure the complete separation of the recycled and potable water systems to be in full compliance with the State requirements.
The development of the new Eagle Mountain Casino has been a tremendous collaboration between the City and the Tribe, who have jointly funded the development of the estimated $15 million TWSF, which is near completion and will be fully operational shortly after the planned opening of the new Casino. The TWSF will help address any potential water issues, providing recycled water to irrigate the nearby 100-acre Porterville Sports Complex and the Casino’s landscaping and other non-potable water uses, replacing potable water previously used to irrigate the Sports Complex and allocated to the Casino for potable purposes. The recycled water facility will include the ability for expansion, which will better serve the City’s residents, as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) limits the City’s use of groundwater both for current use by its residents, as well as to support important future development.
