VICTORY ALERT! Your Voice Made a Difference for Southern California’s Water Security!

We’re thrilled to announce a major victory for Southern California’s water future! The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Board of Directors, by a 98.76% weighted vote, approved the region's continued participation in the Delta Conveyance Project. This crucial project will enhance the reliability and sustainability of our region’s water supply, safeguarding millions of families and businesses against disruptions caused by seismic risk, aging infrastructure, and environmental challenges. With this vote, the MWD Board reaffirmed the importance of modernizing California's water infrastructure to ensure a reliable and safe water supply. We were also elated to have showed this strength in front of California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crawfoot, who was present at yesterday's hearing.

Thank you to the BizFed members who showed up and showed out at yesterday's hearing:

Rich Lambros, Southern CA Leadership Council
Charley Wilson, SoCal Water Coalition
Kyle Griffith, Californians for Water Security
Marci Stanage, Rebuild SoCal
Amanda Walsh, Orange County Business Council
Chris Anderson, Cal Chamber
Luis Portillo, San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
James Finney-Conlon, LA Area Chamber
Victor Reyes, Valley Industry Commerce Association
Chris Wilson, BizFed

About the Delta Conveyance Project

The Delta Conveyance Project is a proposed 45-mile tunnel that seeks modernize California's water delivery system, ensuring that water can be moved efficiently from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to two-thirds of the state, including all of Southern California. The DCP is critically important as the state's aging water infrastructure buckles under the strain of ballooning demand, extreme weather, and multi-year droughts that are now regular occurrences in California. So who's paying for the $20.1-billion project? The state is requesting additional support from suppliers that would receive water from the project.

Next Steps

The approved funding will allow 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. A future decision would come before the Board in 2027 based on further design and permitting, as well as updates to the cost estimate.