The San Diego County Water Authority announced a new multi-agency agreement this week that will save local water customers $20 million while protecting Colorado River supplies.
The water exchange agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District and the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District is the second over two years. Together the actions will conserve more than 100,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead, the giant reservoir behind Hoover Dam that has fallen dramatically in recent years.
“For the second year in a row, the Water Authority and its partners have struck a deal to conserve water in Lake Mead and save our local ratepayers approximately $20 million,” said Water Authority Board Chair Nick Serrano.
“This is a win-win for all of us and demonstrates how the Water Authority is strategically using its assets to help protect ratepayers and the Colorado River through innovative thinking.”
The cost saving for local customers is funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of its efforts to protect the over-utilized Colorado River.
The deal was announced during a meeting of the Colorado River Board of California at this year’s Colorado River Water Users Association’s conference in Las Vegas.
Because the San Diego region started investing heavily in desalination, storage and other water security measures nearly 30 years ago, the region has reliable supplies for the foreseeable future and can exchange water with other jurisdictions.
