Coalition pushes for investment in water infrastructure

IRVINE, Calif. – Imperial Irrigation District is represented in a national coalition of more than 200 agricultural organizations and urban and rural water districts that have urged President-elect Joe Biden and congressional leadership to address aging Western water infrastructure in any potential infrastructure or economic recovery package.

The coalition includes organizations from 15 states that collectively represent $120 billion in agricultural production, nearly one-third of all agricultural production in the country, and tens of millions of urban and rural water users. They include California Farm Bureau, Western Growers, Family Farm Alliance, National Water Resources Association and the Association of California Water Agencies

IID is a member of both the Family Farm Alliance and the Association of California Water Agencies, the district’s Government Affairs and Communications Director Antonio Ortega said.

In separate letters to President-elect Biden and congressional leaders Tuesday, the coalition said existing Western water infrastructure is in desperate need of rehabilitation and improvement. Most of the federal water projects in the West were built more than 50 years ago and were not designed with the present and future population demands and climate conditions in mind.

Without immediate attention, the coalition said, the Western water system will quickly prove inadequate to meet the needs of urban and rural users and the environment.

According to a release issued Tuesday, the coalition encouraged the federal government to invest in a diversified water management portfolio that enhances water supply and quality for urban and environmental uses while keeping water flowing to Western farms. Specific recommendations include funding for:

• Water conservation.

• Water recycling, reuse and desalination projects.

• New water storage facilities, both surface and groundwater.

• Watershed management, fish passage and recovery, and habitat restoration.

• Federal financing mechanisms for water projects.

• Loans for local districts operating and maintaining federally owned irrigation projects.

• Water quality improvement for rural communities.

Beyond financial support, the coalition also called on the federal government to ensure the timely construction of water projects by streamlining the regulation and permitting processes.

“IID is one of the signatories to the coalition’s letter, and we have been involved on this advocacy effort through our membership in both the Family Farm Alliance and ACWA,” Ortega said. As members we had an opportunity to participate in the drafting and review process.”

Ortega said the coalition’s focus is addressing aging Western water infrastructure in any future infrastructure or economic recovery legislation. “IID, like other water districts, would benefit greatly from new federal funds to help build or upgrade critical water infrastructure systems (delivery, storage, etc.) as well as investments in water conservation projects,” he said.

As for potential opposition to the effort, Ortega said he didn’t think anyone would oppose funding for these projects, “but there will be other competing priorities for federal funds so the coalition will continue to advocate for these investments now that a new federal administration is taking shape.

“While many think of infrastructure in terms of highways, bridges and other transportation facilities, there is an equally compelling need for federal investment in water infrastructure across the West,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “Meaningful and timely federal investment in water infrastructure, along with a regulatory system that prioritizes efficiency and completion of projects, is necessary to preserve our farms and strengthen our rural communities in the West.”