Countywide

The San Diego County Water Authority board of directors voted Thursday to approve an agreement with the city of San Diego detailing each agency’s responsibilities in the anticipated battle against the proposed San Diego Gas & Electric Co. merger with Southern California Edison.

The agreement, which the City Council approved Tuesday, formally documents a series of informal understandings previously reached between the city and the Water Authority. “Since SDG&E; has come in and attempted to handcuff us, as it were, we find it necessary to back up and in essence memorialize our agreement with the city,” said Water Authority General Manager Lester Snow.

SDG&E; is suing the Water Authority in an attempt to prevent it from spending $940,000 the board approved last month on a study that would, among other things, address the feasibility of the Water Authority’s taking over the utility company in order to avert a merger with Los Angeles-based SCE. A temporary restraining order was granted, preventing the Water Authority from spending any of its money on the study until the next court hearing, which is scheduled for March 21.