Local water officials praised California's water legislation as a genuine, long-term fix for the drought-plagued state's decaying supply infrastructure. And they said local consumers could hit tough new conservation targets.

The package of bills passed Wednesday and awaits approval by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It is to be funded by $11 billion from a bond measure that would go before California voters in November 2010. The project list includes new dams, conservation to cut consumption by 20 percent, environmental improvements and the repair of the critical Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, which is the source of much of Southern California's water.

"We're real pleased with the way things finally ended up," said John Rossi, general manager of Riverside County's Western Municipal Water District. The district, which mostly sells to wholesale customers, stretches from Corona south through Lake Elsinore and Murrieta to Temecula.

The bills combine long-term statewide water improvements such as fixing the delta with local projects that can be done more quickly, providing interim relief as well, Rossi said.

Rossi said the district had a hand in crafting the legislation, with the support of local legislators, to ensure its customers' needs were taken into consideration.

Greg Morrison, a spokesman for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, which sells at retail to businesses and residents, praised the bill in much the same terms.

"We're very pleased with the final package that came out," Morrison said, despite some last-minute concerns as the bill was repeatedly revised.

The bill provides "plenty of money" for projects to reduce Southern California's dependence on imported water, including recycling, desalination and storm water management, Morrison said.

Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of Metropolitan Water District, Southern California's biggest water importer and wholesaler, also expressed satisfaction with the outcome.

"This is a tremendous, historic, sweeping, comprehensive piece of legislation," Kightlinger said. "It can really help set the path for water reliability and a restored ecosystem in the delta."

The delta provides 30 percent of water used in Southern California, Kightlinger said. Metropolitan imports the delta water, along with water from the Colorado River, and resells it to regional water agencies. These agencies, such as the San Diego County Water Authority, sell to local water districts, which then sell at retail to businesses and residents.

Dennis Cushman, the Water Authority's assistant general manager, also put the delta deal at the top of the list in accomplishments.

Gary Arant, general manager of Valley Center Water District, said he had some reservations about the other water policy bills passed along with the bond bill, but was generally happy with the outcome.

"We understand that's a compromise," Arant said. More important, he said, was that the bond bill provided significant money for water storage, reclamation and desalination, all of which increase local water reliability.

Conservation, for now and the future

However, even assuming voters approve the bond measure, the projects will still take years to complete, the officials cautioned. So while California remains in drought, stepped-up conservation will continue to be needed.

Moreover, cities will have to make do with less after the drought ends. Among the provisions in the policy bills, most cities will be required to cut per-capita water use by 2020.

Cushman said San Diego County will get credit for dramatic conservation efforts it has made over the last 20 years. The most telling statistic, he said, is that San Diego County's annual water use is now 645,000 acre-feet, the same as it was in 1990.

In 1990, San Diego County's population was 2,498,016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2008 estimate puts the population at 3,001,072, an increase of about 20 percent.

But further conservation is needed, said Cushman and other water officials.

"We all have to change the way we use water," said Dennis O. Lamb, general manager of Vallecitos Water District, based in San Marcos. Specifically, that means cutting outdoor water use, which takes up 50 to 70 percent of individual water use.

"People have to get used to the fact that large grass yards are probably not realistic down here," Lamb said.

If water users make those long-term changes, meeting the 20 percent reduction is definitely achievable, Lamb said, stating that his district has already saved 18 percent by means of mandatory restrictions.

Morrison, of the Elsinore Valley water district, said the bill allows for flexibility in meeting the target, recognizing that arid inland districts have greater water needs than the cooler coastal regions.

Call staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at 760-739-6641. Read his blogs at bizblogs.nctimes.com.