Metropolitan Vote Improves Water Supply Outlook By Elizabeth Smilor Special Sections Writer
A serpentine stretch of the California Aqueduct in Palmdale. Florence Low / California Department of Water Resources
T he raging wildfires bring to the forefront the need for climate resilience, something regional water managers are working toward every day. In fact, at the end of 2024, the water supply and long-term infrastructure investment outlook improved. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) vot- ed overwhelmingly to approve additional funding for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), and the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) increased the State Wa- ter Project allocation forecast to 15% following Northern California storms. In an hours-long meeting with more than 60 public comments, the Metropolitan Board of Directors voted to approve $141 million in additional funding for planning and permitting for the DCP, a single-tunnel proposal to move excess water along the east side of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the California Aqueduct and storage reservoirs. “What was so remarkable and significant at the meeting was that there was a ma - jority of speakers from the business community, the labor community, other areas across the state who told the board they are in support of the Delta Conveyance Project,” said Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District General Manager Tom Love. “The fact that 99% of the board voted yes to continue funding the project was unexpected. For us, that strong margin was significant. We don’t have other options on the table. It’s important to keep this option open.” Love and Upper District Board President Elizabeth
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Santana were special guests of Metropolitan Board Chair Adán Ortega Jr. at the Dec. 10 meeting. Upper District is one of 26 Metropolitan member agencies and cities that rely on the cooperative for imported water from the State Water Project (SWP) and the Colorado River. Some
other members are: Three Valleys Municipal Water District and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA). Metropolitan is one of 27 SWP Contractors and the one with the largest stake in the DCP. Other SWP contractors include the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. “After careful consideration, our board took this step because it allows us to gather critical information about the project’s benefits and costs that will allow us to evaluate whether we will participate in the full construction of the project,” said Metropolitan Board Chair Ortega. “Along with our investments in storage, a more resilient distribution system, conservation and local supplies, the State Wa- ter Project remains a cornerstone of water reliability for the 19 Adán Ortega Jr.
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