Contact Information: Contact: Jennifer Persike ACWA Director of Strategic Coordination and Public Affairs 916/441-4545 916/296-3981 (cell)
ACWA Endorses Water Bond on November 2010 Ballot
Board Votes to Support Measure to Invest in State's Water System
| Source: Association of California Water Agencies
SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - January 29, 2010) - Citing a critical need to reinvest in the
state's water infrastructure, the Association of California Water Agencies
(ACWA) today endorsed an $11.14 billion water bond measure slated for the
November 2010 ballot.
The statewide organization's Board of Directors voted to formally support
the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, saying it
would provide much-needed funding for water supply reliability, Delta
sustainability, water recycling, conservation, surface and groundwater
storage, groundwater protection and cleanup, and drought relief.
"With passage of the legislative package last November, we have a framework
for moving ahead with solutions. Now it is essential that we pass this
water bond to provide funding for the projects and strategies that are
central to solving our extreme water supply challenges," said ACWA
President Paul Kelley. "We can't afford not to make this overdue investment
in our water system."
The Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010 was part of
a comprehensive water package approved by the Legislature and signed by
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November. If approved by voters, it will fund
projects and programs to improve water supply reliability, sustain and
restore the Delta, improve the operation of the state's water
infrastructure, expand water conservation and recycling, and protect
groundwater and watersheds. It includes funding for all regions of
California.
Kelley noted the measure would fund the kinds of programs and projects ACWA
has advocated since release of its 2005 water policy document, "No Time to
Waste: A Blueprint for California Water." The document recommended a
comprehensive suite of actions and investments to ensure California has the
water supply system it will need in the coming decades.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are
responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more
information, visit www.acwa.com.