Pasadena City Council will consider accepting $959,752 in federal funding Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a groundwater treatment plant at the Sunset Complex, part of a planned overhaul of the city’s drinking water infrastructure.
The proposed resolution would authorize the city manager or a designee to execute agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, receive funding through its Community Grants program and administer the grant.
The money was publicly announced in June 2024, when Rep. Judy Chu joined Mayor Victor Gordo and Pasadena Water and Power officials for a ceremonial check presentation.
Tuesday’s action concerns formal acceptance of that previously announced funding, not a new federal award.
The planned treatment facility is part of a larger modernization project at 201 W. Mountain St. in Northwest Pasadena.
According to Pasadena Water and Power, the Sunset reservoirs provide approximately 25% of the city’s water demand. The two reservoirs have been in service for more than 125 years and require replacement because of deterioration, leakage and seismic deficiencies.
The modernization project calls for replacing the existing reservoirs with two circular concrete structures designed to meet current seismic standards.
The proposed replacement reservoirs would hold 4.9 million and 6.1 million gallons, respectively. The existing reservoirs have a combined capacity of approximately 15.5 million gallons.
The groundwater treatment plant would use ion exchange to remove perchlorate, granular activated carbon to remove volatile organic compounds and a disinfection system. Pasadena Water and Power says the treatment would allow greater use of local groundwater supplies.
The utility states that drinking water currently delivered to customers meets applicable state and federal drinking water standards.
Other components of the broader Sunset Complex Project include emergency generators, solar facilities, groundwater well improvements, landscaping and site upgrades.
The project has also undergone environmental review. A draft environmental impact report released in 2025 identified a significant and unavoidable effect on historical resources associated with demolition and replacement of portions of the existing reservoir complex.
The Council’s proposed action Tuesday is limited to accepting and administering federal funding. City staff recommends finding that the grant authorization itself is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act. The resolution would not constitute approval of the broader construction project.
At the June 2024 ceremony, Gordo emphasized the importance of the city’s water system.
“Pasadena’s local water infrastructure is vital to residents, businesses, and visitors,” Gordo said, according to the city’s published account of the event.
Chu said at the ceremony that she had secured the $959,752 through Congress’ Community Project Funding program to support the groundwater treatment facility.
The proposed grant resolution is listed as the first item on Tuesday’s consent calendar, which allows routine matters to be approved together unless a councilmember requests separate consideration.
The City Council’s public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chamber at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.
If approved, the resolution would authorize the city to complete the federal grant agreements necessary to obtain funding for the treatment plant.
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