MWD pushes bankruptcy with Delta support says former state water analyst
His report urges water agencies to replace 'all of the above' business model with a sustainable and equitable system that faces climate-change realities
A report released by the non-profit California Water Impact Network says that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed $16 billion Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) could bankrupt the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).
Said to be the largest water wholesaler in America, MWD supplies 26 agencies serving 19 million residents of Southern California with water from the State Water Project (SWP—from northern California) and the Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA).
Currently, it sells about 1.5 million acre-feet of water per year to those agencies, storing, treating, and delivering it through an infrastructure network that covers 5,200 square miles in six counties.
It also contributes to water efficiency (conservation) rebate programs and local water-supply projects.
MWD employs about 1,900 full-time employees whose work is supplemented by private contractors, including engineers, consultants, and lobbyists.
Currently it pays for all that with a $2 billion yearly budget that carries $3.9 billion in debt.
The report’s conclusions are based largely on planning documents produced by the MWD, but they have financial implications for water agencies throughout Southern California including the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA), the wholesaler for its 24 member agencies.
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