State Water Contractors are reviewing update to ensure plan resolves outstanding issues
From the State Water Contractors:
On Friday, October 16, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) released an updated draft of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, a draft that considers public comments submitted in September.
In 2022, public water agencies, which account for 90% of all water suppliers in California, executed the Memorandum of Understanding to advance a term sheet that would become the framework for the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program (HRL). The 2022 MOU framework represents the best path forward for the Bay-Delta and California by balancing water supply reliability and lasting ecosystem improvements.
The SWRCB will consider adopting the Bay-Delta Plan at a public hearing on October 28 and 29.
Statement from Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors:
“The State Water Contractors are reviewing the updates to the update Draft Bay-Delta Plan to better understand how the settling parties’ feedback has been incorporated and whether remaining concerns have been addressed.
“We continue to believe that the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program has the potential to provide a more collaborative, science-based path forward for improving ecosystem conditions while maintaining water supply reliability for Californians. However, several important issues remain unresolved, and it is critical that the final framework follow the 2022 MOU for successful implementation.
“We are hopeful that the State Water Board will address these outstanding concerns before adopting. Doing so will ensure that the program can deliver meaningful environmental benefits while supporting the communities, businesses, and millions of Californians who rely on a reliable water supply.”
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The State Water Contractors is a statewide, non-profit association of 27 public agencies from Northern, Central and Southern California that purchase water under contract from the California State Water Project. Collectively, the State Water Contractors deliver water to more than 27 million residents throughout the state and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural land. For more information on the State Water Contractors, please visit www.swc.org.
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