![]() ![]() ![]() While MWD’s IRP recognizes this possibility, its current budget outlook assumes that CRA deliveries will increase beginning in 2028. Although the Imperial Irrigation District uses nearly three times more Colorado River water than MWD( 10), MWD may be forced to cut back its CRA deliveries. In contrast, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power includes conservation as part of its supply portfolio.( 8)Īs recent proposals from California and the other states that use Colorado River water indicate( 9), California’s share will decrease, it is just a question of how fast and how much. MWD’s budgets neither account for these realities nor do they treat conservation as a source of supply. Regardless of whether the DCP is built, the increasing cost of water makes a rebound in customer demand highly unlikely. ![]() In addition, rate increases driven by investments in local and reliable supplies (i.e., additional recycled water and desalination) are also incentivizing residents and businesses to reduce water use. Moreover, state policies, from emergency conservation rules( 6) to long-term efficiency standards(7) have created additional transparency and accountability for water suppliers’ demand management portfolios. Overall urban water use in MWD’s service area has been in decline for over 20 years.( 5) The reduction is driven both by increased use of efficient fixtures and devices and by behavioral changes from increased water awareness and higher rates during more frequent and severe drought cycles. In particular, the budget outlook assumes relatively stable demand along with undiminished deliveries from the Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA).(4) These assumptions are unsupported by ongoing reductions in urban water use and the well documented drying and overallocation of Colorado River watershed. While the current IRP presents an analysis of climate change impacts on future water supplies, the current 10-year budget outlook presents a much more static picture of sales projections. MWD’s IRP and its fiscal management should be integrated, but historically they have been separated, leading to disparate assumptions and budgetary commitments that do not reflect the changing water supply and demand landscape. Section I: A Need for Unified and Adaptive Planning ![]() We face tough choices and a need for leaders willing to make them. There is no such thing as an economically and environmentally responsible “all of the above” strategy. We need new approaches to water management that are rooted in equity and elevate ecological resilience and affordability over unconstrained agricultural production and lush urban landscapes. California’s climate is changing rapidly, and its disadvantaged communities are bearing the brunt of the impacts. It is my sincere hope that MWD and other policymakers seriously grapple with the issues raised in this assessment, regardless of their views on C-WIN’s advocacy. The current proposal under consideration, the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), has an estimated cost of $16 billion.( 1) MWD has not yet published an estimate of its cost share and how much it would increase rates however, MWD has produced a 10-year budget outlook and Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) that provide data and assumptions about the District’s cost structure and supply and demand scenarios.( 2a, 2b) Moreover, MWD has embarked on a strategic planning process designed to update the IRP and budget outlook to evaluate more dynamic scenarios under a changing climate.( 3) These documents provide much of the documentation for the assessment presented in this report. However, it is not a substitute for a comprehensive socioeconomic analysis that should be conducted before Metropolitan votes on whether to finance new water conveyance infrastructure. Its purpose is to present an assessment of risks and potential impacts from the Metropolitan Water District’s (MWD or Metropolitan) continued pursuit of new water delivery infrastructure from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta). This assessment has been prepared for the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the equitable and sustainable distribution of water in California. Affordability and Reliability for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: An assessment of risks and paradigms in an era of climate changeĪ video of the May 2023 press conference with Max Gomberg can be found here. ![]()
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