Civic Publications, Inc. and Civic Digital spoke with diverse advocates of Pure Water Southern California in July 2025, months ahead of the upcoming vote to advance this proposed project. Their reasons for supporting this infrastructure investment remain unchanged as states across the western United States face heightened water sourcing, delivery and storage challenges in 2026 and beyond.
“We are proud to partner with the Metropolitan Water District on this critically important water resource project to diversify Southern California’s water supply and improve
climate resiliency in the Southwest for decades to come,” said Robert Ferrante,
Sanitation Districts Chief Engineer and General Manager. “We greatly appreciate Gov. Newsom and the State Legislature’s recognition of the significant environmental and economic benefits that this innovative project will provide the region and the state.” SB 149 is a 2023 law designed to help critical infrastructure projects move forward without lengthy court delays, while maintaining CEQA’s environmental standards. The project’s EIR, a requirement under state environmental laws, identifies potential impacts associated with the program’s construction and long-term operation, including both purification facilities in Carson and the distribution pipelines across the region. The report evaluates potential impacts, including land use and planning, noise, and air quality, and describes measures to address impacts where feasible. Pure Water would purify cleaned wastewater produced at the A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility and distribute that water across the region, primarily for groundwater replenishment. At full capacity, the program would provide enough water for 1.5 million people and more than double the amount of water recycled by the Sanitation Districts. “From our perspective, Pure Water represents a critical
step toward creating a new, reliable, climate-resilient regional water supply that benefits Metropolitan’s entire service area,” said Matt Litchfield, Three Valleys Municipal Water District General Manager and Chief Engineer. “Advancing this project responsibly requires a strong and defensible environmental foundation, and the final EIR provides exactly that.” At the Metropolitan board meeting, public support of the certification was voiced by water agencies, business and labor organizations as well as environmental groups such as Sierra Club. All agreed it was a vital next step in the planning process. “I want to thank the Metropolitan Board of Directors for their deliberation and for taking the appropriate action of certifying the final EIR,” said Tom Love, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (Upper Water) General Manager. “Six million people in the Metropolitan service area are wholly dependent on water from the State Water Project (SWP). Pure Water will reduce the demand on the SWP supplies by 90,000 acre-feet a year. That water can be stored in the SWP system for delivery during dry years.” In addition to Upper Water and Three Valleys, water industry representatives speaking in support of the final EIR included the Southern California Water Coalition, the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster and The Secure Water Alliance.
Continue Pure Water, Page 12
Civic Publications, Inc. | 11
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker