Santa Clara Valley should join WaterFix tunnel project
California is the sixth largest economy in the world, and Silicon Valley is a primary driver of our state’s job creation and growth. Yet our success is at risk unless we move to protect our water supply.
That’s why we are urging the Santa Clara Valley Water District help secure our water supplies now and well into the future by supporting California WaterFix, which will deliver water through modern pipelines.
While we might expect our innovative state to have stateof-the-art infrastructure for delivering one of our most precious resources — drinking water — that is not the case. At least not yet.
Forty percent of our region’s water is imported from the Sierra Nevada through the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta. This water travels long distances through 100-year- old dirt levees that are vulnerable to collapse during an earthquake. It is at risk of contamination from salt water due to rising sea levels associated with climate change.
WaterFix provides the only viable and detailed solution to address these risks and shore up the water supply we, and most Californians, rely on.
What’s more, WaterFix and its companion project, EcoRestore, will reverse environmental damage in the Delta caused by reverse river flows from the current pumping system. By moving the points of water diversions, and utilizing advanced screens to protect vul- nerable species, the project will help restore more natural river flows and benefit fish. EcoRestore will also restore 30,000 acres of Delta habitat.
While the state auditor recently criticized the state for the way it handled a planning contract, the audit confirmed no general fund dollars were used for the planning and design of WaterFix. The audit also validated the exhaustive review process the state went through to propose the best project for California.
This summer resulted in significant momentum for the project, with positive opinions from the federal government and state project approval. Now, after almost a decade of analysis, planning and environmental review, and with a poll showing over 70 percent of county residents support the project, it’s up to local water agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Water District to commit to WaterFix.
The Zone 7 Water District in Alameda and Metropolitan Water District in Southern California recently voted to support the project. Unfortunately, the large agricultural Westlands Water District opted out of the current financing plan.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t move forward locally. Ultimately, Santa Clara Valley Water District should vote to approve a “user-based” financing plan that ensures we only pay for the water we get. We believe that is still possible despite the Westlands decision.
While we support investing in local water supply projects, we believe the Delta will continue for quite some time to be an important source of water for our region.
The project is among the most affordable sources of water for our region. WaterFix is a small price to pay for water security. The current outdated infrastructure would not survive an earthquake. Water delivery could be suspended for months.
Rejecting this project will perpetuate the status quo that is failing this fragile system. The water system we rely on is aging and broken and needs repair.
On Tuesday, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board will vote on California WaterFix. Our region’s reliance on imported water is too significant to postpone infrastructure upgrades any longer. It is time to move forward with local approval.