Water agencies vote to move forward with Delta Conveyance Project

Project now has support of water agencies serving majority of Californians

Last month, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) joined 11 other water agencies throughout the state to support the continued work of planning and permitting for the Delta Conveyance Project.

MWD’s Board of Directors voted to provide $141 million in additional funding for pre-construction costs for a project that could modernize statewide infrastructure that delivers water to 27 million Californians.

“After careful consideration, our board took this step because it allows us to gather critical information about the project’s benefits and costs that will allow us to evaluate whether we will participate in the full construction of the project,” said Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr.

MWD, the largest supplier of treated water in the United States, is a cooperative of 26 member agencies that provide water to 19 million people across six California counties. MWD’s support means water agencies serving 21 million Californians – more than half the state’s population – have now voted in favor of this major infrastructure project.

The Delta Conveyance Project is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s portfolio approach to water management and calls for the construction of new conveyance facilities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project has been under review for more than a decade by experts in engineering, water management, science, and habitat protection.

Most recently, it has been refined and includes the construction of two new intakes on the Sacramento River in the north Delta, an underground tunnel 45 miles in length and 36 feet in diameter, and a pumping plant to lift water from the terminus of the pipeline into the Bethany Reservoir at the beginning of the California Aqueduct.

The approved funding allows planning and pre-construction work to continue, with Metropolitan contributing its proportionate share of 47.2% of the estimated $300 million in planning costs for 2026 and 2027, totaling approximately $142 million.

MWD expects a vote to come before the board in 2027 to determine whether Metropolitan will participate in the construction of the project based on further design and permitting, as well as updates to the cost estimate and further definition around project benefits.