As the official 2024 California water year began Sunday, the San Diego County Water Authority predicted “reliable supplies” thanks to full reservoirs and continued investment in desalination and other diversified sources.
At the end of August 2023, reservoirs in the county had an additional 137,400 acre-feet of storage, an 80% increase from the same time in 2022 amid drought conditions. And compared to recent years, the condition of the Colorado River is improved and California will not face supply restrictions.
The extra local water storage alone is enough to support nearly 500,000 single-family households for a year.
In addition, El Niño conditions continue to strengthen and could bring above-average precipitation to Southern California this fall.
“San Diego County continues to have the water necessary to support our $268 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority’s board. “We are grateful for the reprieve from drought — but we recognize that dry times will return, probably sooner than later. We are ready when they do.”
The Water Authority has made major investments since the early 1990s, including enlarging the San Vicente Dam and supporting construction of the country’s largest desalination plant in Carlsbad.
A year ago, during the last drought, millions of California residents had to reduce their water usage, but the San Diego region was spared.
Hydrologists use Oct. 1 to begin measuring the snow and rain that will help carry California water users through dry summer months the following calendar year.
