Water officials to distill $17B California WaterFix at ‘Wet and Wonderful’ symposium
At a “Wet and Wonderful” symposium at Descanso Gardens Saturday, water officials will promote the necessity of California WaterFix — a $17-billion plan to reengineer the flow of Northern California water past the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into Central and Southern California.
The plan involves the installation of two underground tunnels that would bypass the environmentally delicate delta and move Sierra Nevada runoff from the Sacramento River through aqueducts to water districts southward to San Diego.
In coming weeks, water districts that import water through the California State Water Project will be voting on a cost-sharing scenario to fund the renovation through revenue bonds that will be paid off by funds collected from increased water rates.
That scenario was looking uncertain Tuesday, as one participating district — Westlands Water District, which comprises 1,000 square miles of agricultural land in western Fresno and Kings counties — voted 7-1 against joining the project and, consequently, the cost sharing.
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which distributes water to 19 million customers by way of retail agencies like Foothill Municipal Water District in La Cañada, currently receives about 30% of its supply through the state water project, according to MWD General Manager Jeff Kightlinger.
The 1960s infrastructure that pumps that water through the delta, however, is aging and has been found harmful to local fish species. Increased environmental restrictions on pumping during certain seasons has diminished imports by as much as 40%, making bypassing the vulnerable delta a promising option, Kightlinger said.
“The preferred path is to get the drinking and agricultural water out of the delta and allow the delta to return to a more fish-friendly, restored ecosystem,” he said.
MWD’s share of the total WaterFix price tag with all districts participating was calculated at 25.9%, or roughly $4.3 billion, which, spread out among the agency’s customer base, worked out to roughly $2 to $3 per month, depending on water use.
“Nobody likes a rate increase, but given the system’s need to be modernized and given the relatively modest impact, we can support this,” Kightlinger said in an interview before Westland’s no-vote Tuesday.
It is uncertain what course of action will be taken as the remaining water districts decide whether to participate in California WaterFix. MWD board members will vote on Oct. 10.
Charley Wilson, executive director of the nonprofit Southern California Water Committee, said he plans to attend Saturday’s symposium at Descanso to educate attendees about the importance of modernizing a statewide water-capture program and help residents understand that water recycling and desalination alone cannot cost-effectively meet regional demands.
“There’s no silver bullet in this — you have to diversify,” Wilson said. “And in the case of the State Water Project, it’s the cheapest form of importing water there is. You’re talking about less than the price of a cup of Starbucks coffee on a monthly basis and whether that’s a prudent investment to modernize the water system for the next 50 years.”
Informing customers of the need for California WaterFix is just one part of what’s planned for Saturday’s symposium. The event, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will explore water-wise gardening techniques and conservation methods and give visitors a chance to talk with area water officials while they enjoy festival food and hands-on activities for kids.
Participants can also enjoy a children’s theater production of “H2O, Where Did You Go?” by Shows that Teach at 10:30 a.m. and jazz ukulele performances from the Abe Lagrimas Jr. Trio. Discounts on rain barrels will be available and a free mulch giveaway runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon for residents of La Cañada and Descanso members on a first-come, first-served basis.
Speakers include KABC-TV meteorologist Dallas Raines, Lisa Novick of the Theodore Payne Society and Cassy Ayogi from FormLA Landscaping.
A limited number of free tickets to Descanso Gardens for the “Wet and Wonderful” symposium will be given those who RSVP ahead of time at https://bit.ly/2s3CMLZ. On the day of the event, attendees can participate with $9 admission to Descanso Gardens. For more, contact Foothill MWD at (818) 790-4036, visit descansogardens.org or call (818) 949-4200.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
UPDATES:
12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the mulch giveaway.
This article was originally published at 1:05 p.m. on Sept. 20.
