From Nemeth, Page 3
Sheryl Shaw, retired WVWD General Manager and Chief Engineer. “As imported supplies become less predictable, strengthening local resilience and planning ahead is essential. Our priority is ensuring our communities continue to receive safe, reliable water at a cost that remains responsible for ratepayers.” California Senate Bill 72 is the state’s updated water plan. At the center of SB 72 is an interim statewide planning target of 9 million acre-feet by 2040, which is the amount of water supply California could lose as climate change reduces snowpack and intensifies drought. That target is roughly equal to two Shasta Reservoirs, or enough for 18 million homes, according to DWR. SB 72 guides supply, conservation, recharge, and storage strategies. San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (SGVMWD) is a State Water Contractor like Metropolitan and relies on the SWP for the supplemental water it provides for more than 200,000 people. “Today’s drought conditions require a different mindset than
state and region is imperative. “We’re planning knowing that imported supplies from both the Colorado River and the State Water Project will be less reliable and more expensive going forward,” said Tom Love, General Manager of Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (Upper Water). “That’s why we’re prioritizing diversified supply strategies, regional coordination, and investments that strengthen local resilience. The future depends on flexibility and multiple options — not a single source.” Upper Water is a Metropolitan member
valuable as new infrastructure,” said Matt Litchfield, Three Valleys Chief Engineer and General Manager. One of Three Valleys’ members is Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD), which provides drinking and recycled water to about 100,000 people through imported supplies. “Walnut Valley Water District is focused on long- term reliability through
and wholesale water supplier for 18 cities and portions of unincorporated Los Angeles County with almost 1 million residents. Another Metropolitan member and wholesaler is Claremont-based Three Valleys Municipal Water District (Three Valleys), which has 13 members serving about 500,000 people. “We’re investing in both infrastructure and smarter operations, but flexibility is becoming the real advantage. Better interconnections, real-time operational coordination, and system efficiency allow us to respond faster when supplies fluctuate. In today’s climate reality, adaptability is just as
past dry years because the uncertainty is long-term,” said SGVMWD General Manager Jose Reynoso. “We’re making decisions earlier, strengthening regional partnerships, and treating drought preparedness as a permanent operating condition. The focus now is on reliability and readiness, not reaction.” Nemeth agrees that the most affordable solution is to optimize
a balanced approach of conservation and operational efficiency,” said
California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth (center) addresses news media on April 1 alongside Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Andy Reising (left) and Public Information Officer Jason Ince. Photo by Melissa Sanchez Robinson/DWR.
(Left to Right) Laura Hollender, Deputy Director for Flood Management and Dam Safety at the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), Karla Nemeth, Director of DWR, and Mark Pestrella, Director of Los Angeles County Public Works, participated in a briefing at the Pasadena Rose Bowl staging area before touring the Eaton burn scar. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has deployed Watershed Protection Specialists to supervise the placement of materials aimed at protecting the watershed in the Palisades and Eaton burn scar areas of Los Angeles County. Photo by Ken James / DWR
existing systems with the SWP at the center because it provides water for 27 million Californians. The The Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) would divert water through a tunnel around the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, rather than relying solely on pumps in the Delta that have to be turned down in large storm events to protect migrating salmon. However, along with infrastructure updates, innovative storage and recycling efforts are necessary. Sites Reservoir would create 1.5 million acre-feet of off-stream storage for dry years for communities, farms and protected wildlife areas. “We have to understand how these big projects interact with smaller local resilience projects and have a real conversation of
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