Workshop, webcast provide update on Southern California water plans

Los Angeles — The public will have the first opportunity to learn more about and provide input on ways the region’s water supplies will be developed and managed over the next two decades during an Oct. 22 workshop hosted by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The workshop — scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Metropolitan’s headquarters, at 700 N. Alameda Avenue in downtown Los Angeles — also will be webcast.

The workshop’s goal is to present information on “Water Tomorrow,” an update of Metropolitan’s Integrated Water Resources Plan. Originally adopted in 1996 and updated every five years, the 25-year plan takes an in-depth look at ways to achieve long-term supply reliability for the region using a range of strategies, including imports from the State Water Project and the Colorado River, conservation, recycling, groundwater storage and clean up, storm water recharge and desalination.

“With water and drought issues topping Californians’ list of concerns, we hope the public will take advantage of this opportunity to learn more and participate,” said Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger. “Water Tomorrow is being updated through a collaborative process, and we know that having more ideas and perspectives will help inform our decisions going forward.”

Metropolitan has created a microsite for the Water Tomorrow update at https://www.mwdwatertomorrow.com. The site provides easy access to meeting information and presentations, technical analysis and policy documents as well as the link to the upcoming webcast. The site also includes a comment portal so the public and groups can more effectively participate as the foundational regional plan is updated.

To better understand future water needs, Metropolitan has heard over the last eight months from experts and analyzed updated information on local water projects as well as demographic projections for Southern California. Many of the region’s water agencies and environmental interests have been involved in the update process through regular meetings of Metropolitan’s Integrated Resources Planning Committee, which also have been open to the public.

After the October workshop, the schedule calls for technical analysis to be completed in December as the process transitions into discussions over public policy.