MWD sets new water agenda

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the largest wholesale water seller in the state, has created a significant 25-year plan to address the growing demand for water in the region. On top of conservation efforts, MWD wants to create new water supplies through recycled water projects.

“The updated plan offers an evolving roadmap for maintaining regional water supply reliability through 2040,” said Metropolitan board Chairman Randy Record. “It provides the vision for Metropolitan’s strategy to ensure future supply reliability by adaptively managing through change.”

According to MWD’s general manager, Jeffrey Kightlinger, if Southern California doesn’t begin investing in water diversity projects in the near future, he predicts residents would be forced to see mandatory conservation notices every eight out of ten years.

“The key to managing risk and future uncertainty is through an adaptive management strategy that stabilizes and maintains the region’s imported supplies through the State Water Project and Colorado River Aqueduct, builds on our successful conservation ethic, and sustains and develops new local supplies,” Kightlinger said.

Instead of focusing solely on conservation efforts through the elimination of outdoor irrigation, the new plan emphases the increase in outdoor water irrigation by utilizing water saving technology, in compliance with California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.

MWD is also focused on completing California WaterFix, the twin tunnel project that would send water from the Delta to Southern California, which was proposed by Governor Jerry Brown.