Item 07 - Response to OC Grand Jury Report_ Historic Rain, Yet Drought

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HISTORIC RAIN, YET DROUGHT REMAINS ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 I 2023 Page 14 of 57 Other Orange County Water Suppliers. Water wholesalers in Orange County work with local water retailers to provide water to their residents. The Orange County local retailers include 29 cities and local water districts. Most of the cities and water agencies have implemented programs to minimize water utilization to become more efficient. They are to be applauded for their efforts. South Orange County retailers Moulton Niguel Water District, Rancho Santa Margarita Water District, and South Coast Water District are highly dependent on the importation of water, in excess of 90% of total local demand. Irvine Ranch Water District is included because of the unique characteristics that were identified during the course of this investigation. Specifically, the Grand Jury noted its creativity in securing potential sources of water coupled with the continued development of the Irvine Ranch and water required to serve new residents. South Orange County retailers are highly dependent on the importation of water for more than 90% of local demand. The Grand Jury’s investigatory efforts have included a focus on this dependency. State of California Managed Supplies The State of California is responsible for operating the State Water Project, planning and implementation of statewide projects for water supply, State bond financing for projects, and management of federal and State funding programs. These have been insufficient to address the threats to Orange County water supply. Water management in California is very complex. There are numerous constituents placing a huge demand on water resources: agriculture, urban centers, industry, business, developers, tourism, and residents. This pressure coupled with an antiquated water structure with hundreds of water wholesalers and retailers makes a challenging dynamic. Environmental pressure exacerbates the challenge. The State’s lack of long-term solutions to California’s water needs is not new. No new reservoirs have been built since the 1970’s when the population was 20 million people. 50 years later, California’s population has almost doubled to 39 million. For years, the State has studied proposals to secure additional supplies of water by moving water from the Sacramento delta to Southern California through the California Water Project, with no discernable results. The project is needed to protect the existing water supply and secure additional water but has been bogged down by debate about approach and environmental review.