The recent announcement by the administration of California Gov. Gavin Newsom of the “most ambitious water plan in California history” is another milestone in the California Municipal Utilities Association's multi-year leadership in advancing pragmatic solutions that will expand water supply while being responsive to changing climate and ensuring water availability for future generations, CMUA said on Feb. 27.
The Governor’s formal launch of the California Water Plan 2028 planning process also marks the beginning of implementation activities for Senate Bill 72, which CMUA co-sponsored last year with the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance (CCEEB).
Authored by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced), SB 72 requires the state of California to set long-range water supply targets as part of its Water Plan Update and also work together with the water community and other stakeholders in the planning process.
Specifically, SB 72 calls for California to pursue an interim statewide planning target of 9 million acre-feet of additional supply by 2040 -- enough water to replace what scientific studies anticipate could be lost due to climate change, CMUA said.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) updates the California Water Plan every five years and is forming a diverse advisory committee to help guide its work.
DWR is calling the 2028 Update “a multiyear effort to modernize statewide water planning and deliver a more action-oriented, measurable blueprint for long-term water reliability and resilience.”
CMUA and its members plan to be involved in every phase of the Water Plan 2028 Update and the implementation of SB 72.
CMUA Board of Governors President Craig Miller and several other CMUA members are serving on the advisory committee, which will begin meeting in April.
“CMUA and our water members statewide are excited to start working side by side with the state of California and DWR on this important planning project,” said CMUA Executive Director Danielle Blacet-Hyden. “Our state is known for bringing bold ideas to the table, and local water agencies are laboratories for innovation. We’re ready to share our expertise to help California expand water supply now and in the coming decades.”
CMUA is urging the Legislature to support full funding that DWR needs for SB 72 implementation. Less than the full amount could delay implementation by several years, it noted.
CMUA will also be providing updates and resources about SB 72 implementation, the water supply targets, and California Water Plan 2028 on the California Water for All website, which a broad coalition established three years ago to advocate for a reimagined long-term water management strategy for California. That collaborative effort led to the successful passage of SB 72, it noted.
“We encourage CMUA members to get involved in the many facets of the California Water Plan 2028 process,” said Andrea Abergel, CMUA Director of Water. “This is a rare opportunity to help shape California’s water future for the better, and DWR wants to hear from us during this multi-year effort.”
