Water From Bay Delta

* Attention to water issues and the critical need for understanding and supporting Southern California’s stake in decisions surrounding the Bay Delta are of paramount importance.

Water agencies--like ours--are struggling to assure that safe and reliable water for millions of Southern Californians will not be forgotten. Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is 100% reliant on imported water, and is keenly aware of our obligation to the tens of thousands of people who rely on us for a quality and reliable water supply. Our ability to fulfill their needs depends, in no small measure, on conditions more than 400 miles away in the Bay Delta.

Consider the following issues regarding quality and reliability of water coming through the Bay Delta:

* Passing through the Bay Delta causes water to come in contact with organic material. Not only does this add problems and costs when treating supplies for human consumption, it results in byproducts of the disinfection process which have human health impacts and must in turn be treated. Bypassing the Delta with a new water transportation facility would solve this problem.

* Water reliability--the consistent availability of water in wet seasons as well as in droughts--can be achieved with varied combinations of water storage and transfers. Yet current Bay Delta plans do not provide new storage options and do not consider new facilities for water transfer.

The people of Southern California must be made aware of key Bay Delta issues so they can consider these significant matters in determining how their tax money is spent.

GORDON KNOPP

President, Board of Directors

Las Virgenes Municipal

Water District