LAS LOMAS >> The Pajaro River flood of 2023 brought many devastating impacts to the community of Pajaro, including residents being displaced for weeks, the closure of Pajaro Middle School’s campus for 17 months and damage to infrastructure.

To help fund repairs over the next three years, Monterey County received a $4.07 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday, for upgrades to the aging lift station, installation of a new generator, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, fixes to the pumps and controls, structural repairs to the wet well and the replacement of sewer lines and laterals. The check was presented by Maria Gallegos Herrera, the USDA’s Rural Development state director for California, at a press conference outside Las Lomas Community Church.

One piece of infrastructure that sustained damage was the wastewater system, a sewage pipeline that served Pajaro and surrounding communities like Las Lomas. This underscored issues with the Pajaro County Sanitation District’s aging wastewater collection system, something Monterey County officials are working to fix in anticipation of the next major weather event.

The Pajaro County Sanitation District, which transports wastewater to the treatment plant in Watsonville, has long had deficiencies with its infrastructure that were only exacerbated with the winter storms of 2022 and 2023, according to Monterey County officials. The grant will largely be focused on work in Pajaro and Las Lomas, which have been designated as disadvantaged communities with a service population of approximately 6,000 residents.

Herrera said improving the quality of life for rural areas is the mission of USDA Rural Development.“In rural California, that means supporting our agricultural communities and farmworkers, which are the backbone of our state’s agricultural economy and vital to its success,” she said.

Herrera said the nearly $4.1 million grant was the largest core investment in California to date, as well as the second largest water investment in the state and the third project funded through the Calendar Year 2022 Water Disaster Grants Program.

“Access to clean and reliable water and wastewater systems is essential for the health and well-being of every community and a foundation for a strong rural economy,” she said. “Having witnessed firsthand the resilience and determination of Californians recovering from disasters, I’m especially proud of this investment that will help restore and upgrade essential water systems in Pajaro.”

Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, whose district includes Pajaro and Las Lomas, said the grant would provide the necessary funding for infrastructure upgrades.

“These communities have working people who just do not have the resources to fund the kind of infrastructure at this level that is needed, and this gives us an opportunity for these communities to be safeguarded in that way,” he said. “These repairs are not just about fixing pipes. They’re about building resilience, ensuring reliable service and minimizing the risks of long-term disasters from future climate disasters.”

Church noted the grant would be beneficial to Pajaro and Las Lomas, which he said were vital to the agricultural economy.

“By modernizing their wastewater systems, we’re not only improving public health and environmental income, we’re also reaffirming that these communities are valued members of our county,” he said.

Chris Lopez, chair of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, said the grant was important to prevent the end costs of improvements from falling upon residents who could not afford to pay them as a result of monthly water bill increases.

“Making this investment in this way, through the lens of equity on a community like ours today is truly impactful,” he said.

The repairs are required to be completed by 2028. Monterey County is also applying for a second USDA grant to replace the sewer force main that was damaged in the 2023 floods.