Shaping the region's water future

By: ASSEMBLYMAN JOHN J. BENOIT - Commentary | Sunday, October 21, 2007 7:05 PM PDT ∞

California stands at the brink of a water crisis.

While our population has exploded in recent years, we have built very little new water storage since the 1960s. A water system designed back in the days when Dwight Eisenhower was still president is certainly inadequate to meet the demands of the 8.4 million people who will call Riverside and San Bernardino counties home by 2050 ---- more than double our current population.

Adding to the urgency, a federal judge has issued a ruling that will strictly limit how much water can be pumped from the San Joaquin Delta, to protect the endangered Delta smelt. You may be wondering why those of us living several hundred miles to the south should care about a water problem in the Central Valley, but in fact the Delta is a critical source of our drinking water. The main water supplier for Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District, obtains 60 percent of its water from the Delta.

With so much of our water supply at risk, it's clear that lawmakers must act soon if we are to avoid serious problems. Without a more reliable supply, we could be facing strict mandatory water rationing. The longer the Legislature delays taking serious steps to modernize our water infrastructure, the greater the costs each of us will ultimately face. Some water agencies are already discussing plans for significant rate hikes. Others will soon be unable to provide "will server" letters for any development, bringing construction to a halt, with potentially devastating adverse impacts on local economies.

Gov. Schwarzenegger recently called a special session of the Legislature to consider responsible solutions to our water problems. He proposed a comprehensive water infrastructure plan that the Legislature must carefully consider. Unfortunately, the Senate Natural Resources Committee quickly voted down the governor's plan on a party-line vote and, in its place, passed legislation that would borrow $7 billion without authorizing a single water storage project. That measure later failed before the full Senate and policymakers are now looking for compromise.

Before last year, voters had approved $12 billion in water bonds since 1988.

We spent billions of dollars on environmental projects, government studies, more bureaucracy and other lesser priorities. All of this spending has left us with less than one year's worth of stored water.

While conservation, water recycling and aquifer replenishment are important steps, no solution is truly comprehensive unless we invest in real infrastructure that can store significant amounts of water and reliably move that water to areas where it is needed. I am determined to work with my colleagues to find solutions that protect our investment and protect our region's well-being.

California's taxpayers cannot afford another multibillion dollar water bond that does not deliver water. That's why I recently hosted a water conference, with Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries and Metropolitan Water District, to represent our local needs and work with the local water agencies responsible for actually delivering water to our tap.

Working together, we can meet the future water needs of Riverside County.

Assemblyman John J. Benoit represents the 64th Assembly District, which includes portions of Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Sun City, Temecula, Wildomar and Winchester.