Editorial: Is it evil to want a reliable water supply for all of California?

Coalition response…This editorial accurately describes the dilemma that grips California’s water supply. The distrust aimed at Southern California fails to acknowledge the benefits to our entire state that are available through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Improving the Delta’s ecosystem through increased fish protections and the addition of over 100,000 acres of habitat is significant. Equally significant is a reliable water supply for 25 million Californians and thousands of farmers who grow the food we all enjoy.

The estimated cost to those in Southern California who receive water from the Delta would be an estimated $4 to $5 per household, per month, according to Metropolitan Water District.

The overall cost for new urban water supplied through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is $300-$400 per acre-foot, according to UC Berkeley economist David Sunding. This is a savings when compared to $1,000-$4,500 for recycled water or $1,200-$1,400 for conservation measures.

Farmers have been plagued with an uncertain supply of water in recent years caused by drought and regulations written to protect Delta species. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan reduces that uncertainty and the effects caused by the regulations that have resulted in a 40 percent reduction in supply to farmers receiving water from the State and federal systems. This means that consumers can continue to rely on fresh Californian-grown produce when they visit their grocery stores.

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