California’s water infrastructure gets $268.9M cash infusion

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(The Center Square) – In an effort to prepare for hotter, drier weather in the coming years, state officials are planning to use $268.9 million to pay for expanded water storage across California.

That money, which comes from two bonds California voters passed over the last 12 years, will allow for water service to 4.5 million homes every year, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Golden State’s voters approved $7.1 billion in new borrowing under the 2014 measure Proposition 1 to pay for water-related programs, followed by the 2024 measure Proposition 4. That bond measure approved a $10 million bond to pay for water, climate and natural resources programs.

According to numbers from the California Water Commission, the project, which is officially referred to as the Sites Reservoir project, will cost between $6.2 billion and $6.8 billion. The project, which is planned to sit just west of the Sacramento Valley town of Maxwell, will hold 1.5 million acre-feet of water, or roughly 479 billion gallons.

The plans for the proposed reservoir include using the Tehama Colusa Canal and the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Canal to bring water into and out of the reservoir. A new diversion and discharge pipeline was also proposed as part of the plans, according to the California Water Commission. Water would be diverted from Funks and Stone Coral creeks.

Some lawmakers don’t think $268.9 million is enough to pay for the amount of infrastructure the state needs to adequately respond to climate demands.

“While I welcome Governor Newsom’s announcement of an additional $268.9 million for the Sites Reservoir and the continued investment in this long-overdue project, it is not enough funding to cover the $1.3 billion project,” Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, told The Center Square via email. “I am concerned that after years of planning and delays, the shortfall this project continues to face — due both to Sacramento’s inability to efficiently complete major infrastructure projects and the federal government’s ongoing hostility toward California — will cause it to move far too slowly and make it even more expensive to the taxpayer before the end.”

Despite Alanis’ concerns, he said the push to pay for more water storage in California is desperately needed.

“Our farmers in Stanislaus County and across the Central Valley grow a significant portion of the nation’s food supply, and they need reliable water,” Alanis told The Center Square. “On balance, I applaud this step forward while remaining concerned about whether we will ultimately get this project over the finish line.”

Other concerns about the project's cost are front of mind for other Republican lawmakers, particularly Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, R-Modesto, who said she's worried about a project that has proven to be expensive and behind schedule.

“California desperately needs reliable water storage for our families, farmers, and rural communities that suffer most during droughts," Alvarado-Gil told The Center Square via email. "While I support advancing practical infrastructure like the Sites Reservoir, Governor Newsom’s announcement of another $269 million in Prop. 1 and Prop. 4 bond funds, pushing the state’s total commitment above $1.36 billion on a project now estimated at $6.2–$6.8 billion with repeated delays, raises serious concerns about unchecked cost overruns."

According to an August 2022 report by multiple state agencies, extreme, sustained drought conditions have caused hotter, drier weather in California and other states throughout the West – reducing the amount of water California has for its needs. Scientists predicted the state’s water supply could diminish by 10% by 2040, according to the report.

Between 2019 and 2022, state officials allocated more than $8 billion to bring California's water infrastructure up to date, the report continued. Approximately $5.2 billion was allocated to emergency drought response In 2021-22, which preceded a $2.8 billion allocation in 2022-23 to help drought-stricken communities, increase water conservation and pay for environmental protection programs.

Ultimately, state officials aim to expand water storage to hold up to 4 million acre-feet of water a year – roughly 1.3 trillion gallons of water, according to the agencies' report. The state also wants to recycle and reuse at least 800,000 acre-feet of water by 2030, conserve up to 500,000 acre-feet of water, capture stormwater and desalinate salty water.

“That definitely will help with the water plan and the goal of getting so many million more acre-feet of water in the state,” Paul Cambra, public information officer for the California Water Commission, told The Center Square on Monday. “This is all part of it.”

Construction on expanded water storage is expected to start in 2027, Cambra added.

Newsom’s office declined to be interviewed, but sent a press release about the governor's announcement of the new Sites Reservoir funding.

The Center Square reached out to 19 Democratic lawmakers who sit on water-related committees in the Legislature or who authored water-related bills. None responded before publication time on Monday.