California’s water security demands action, not more delays

OPINION – California’s water infrastructure is buckling under the weight of inaction.

The State Water Project — the backbone of water delivery for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland — is being pushed to the brink by climate change, extreme weather swings and seismic vulnerabilities. Without action, we’re facing a future of increased water shortages, higher costs and diminished reliability for communities and farms alike.

The Delta Conveyance Project is the critical upgrade we need. It’s a well-studied, extensively vetted and urgently needed modernization of the very infrastructure that underpins the health, safety and prosperity of much of California.

But despite its importance, the DCP has been stalled for nearly two decades by duplicative permitting, frivolous lawsuits and a maze of redundant bureaucratic hurdles — all while our climate risks mount and our water delivery system grows more fragile. That’s why Governor Newsom’s proposal in the May Revise budget to streamline administrative process is exactly the right move at exactly the right time.

This proposal doesn’t greenlight construction or bypass environmental protections. It doesn’t silence the public or shut out review. It’s not even an exclusive benefit to the DCP. What it does is cut through broken processes that will help multiple state agencies and entities deliver critical infrastructure projects that have become more about delay than debate. It enables long-overdue planning and decision-making so that California can adapt before the next crisis hits.

The State Water Project supplies water at a scale and affordability no alternative can match. Desalination, recycling and groundwater storage are all part of the solution — and State Water Contractors actively support and invest in these strategies — but they can’t replace the volume or reliability of the SWP.

Opponents argue that this project only benefits corporate agriculture or development interests. That’s false. The DCP protects water security for the vast majority of California’s disadvantaged communities and supports public health, small businesses and food production. It helps cities and counties respond to both drought and flood, while also ensuring environmental protection for species and habitats in the Delta.

This isn’t a proposal to revive the water projects of the past. The DCP has been significantly redesigned to be smaller, more efficient and more responsive to community and environmental concerns. It will allow water managers more flexibility to move water only when it’s available — which helps protect fisheries and improve ecological outcomes in the Delta. We don’t have this kind of operational flexibility with today’s aging infrastructure.

According to the Department of Water Resources, the State Water Project could lose up to 23% of its supply in the next 20 years if we fail to modernize. Meanwhile, every year of delay on the DCP costs California water ratepayers an estimated $500 million. We are hemorrhaging time and resources while our infrastructure grows more outdated and less resilient.

Governor Newsom’s streamlining proposal restores balance and common sense. It enables the state to do what it must: prepare. It gives the Department of Water Resources the ability to complete critical planning and engineering work, efficiently and effectively, without the current layers of unnecessary duplication.

State legislators have a clear choice. Continue the cycle of gridlock and inaction or take a meaningful step toward water security for future generations.

We urge the Legislature to pass the Governor’s proposal to reduce administrative delays for the Delta Conveyance Project.

Let’s stop letting bureaucracy block progress. Let’s cut through the noise and move forward. Our communities — and our future — can’t wait.

Jennifer Pierre is the General Manager of State Water Contractors, an association formed of 27 of the public water agencies and represents the legal, policy and regulatory interests of the State Water Project contractors, who are responsible for the capital and operations and maintenance costs of the SWP.