MWD to Stash Extra Water in County Basin
The Metropolitan Water District will store 60,000 acre-feet of imported water in the huge ground-water basin beneath Orange County in case of drought.
The Orange County Water District will allow the storage of water from Northern California and the Colorado River. During dry times, MWD could pull out 20,000 acre-feet per year. An acre-foot is enough to supply two typical families for one year.
Storing the water in the basin will mean that the local water supply is being recharged by high-quality water, according to the Orange County Water District.
MWD will spend about $26.5 million for wells, pipes and fees to the county water district, which manages the ground water that provides about 75% of the drinking water to more than 2 million people in northern and central Orange County.
The agreement, which must be finalized by both agencies’ boards, expires in 25 years.
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