LVMWD Board Is Urging Voters to Say Yes to Water Bond

From the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District:

At its Sept. 9 meeting, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution expressing support for “The Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014,” which will be presented to the state’s voters as Proposition 1 on the November ballot.

If approved by voters, the measure would provide $7.545 billion in bond funding for water projects throughout the state, including $2.7 billion for new above-ground and sub-surface water storage projects.

Additional projects eligible for funding include those for regional water supply reliability, sustainable groundwater management, water recycling, watershed protection and other programs.

There are no earmarks for specific projects in the proposal. Instead, applications for funding will be considered based on their merits.

In expressing its support, the LVMWD Board cited “the growing list of challenges associated with aging infrastructure, drought, climate change, population growth and other factors.”

Proposition 1 replaces a larger $11 billion bond that had been proposed as part of a large legislative package adopted in 2009. Voting on that proposed bond had been deferred due to economic conditions.

The new version reflects input from the Legislature and Governor Brown that reduces the amount of borrowing and utilizes unused funds from previously passed bond measures. Information on the bond can be found at the Secretary of State’s website.

The boards of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Association of California Water Agencies and several other local water agencies have also expressed
support for Proposition 1.