Water Talks: Challenges to Regional Water Reliability
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Transcript of Water Talks: Challenges to Regional Water Reliability
May 31, 2011
Dennis Cushman
Assistant General Manager
San Diego County Water Authority
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Latest Drought Over, But Challenges Remain
San Diego County is semi-arid region◦ Dry years more common than wet years
Supply reliability◦ Bay-Delta
◦ Colorado River
◦ Climate change
◦ Maintaining water use efficiency
Protecting ratepayers◦ MWD rate challenge
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Average Water Year Statewide Runoff
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
175%
2006 2008 2010
173%
53%60% 65%
91%
145%
*Forecast as of May 1, 2011
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Bay-Delta
San Francisco Bay
5
Bay-Delta Issues Need Resolution
Pumping restrictions to protect threatened species have cut deliveries
Restrictions mitigated this year
◦ Extremely high river flows
◦ Temporary judicial actions
No long-term plan in place for water reliability, ecosystem recovery
Delta smelt
Longfin smelt
Green sturgeon
Central Valley steelhead
Chinook salmon
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Colorado River Supplies
Drought 9 of last 11 years
Lake Mead elevation earlier this year: 1,082‟
◦ Lowest level since 1930s
Storage levels now rising
Several more wet years needed for recovery
Growing demand in Southwest on river‟s limited supply
Lake Mead – 2010
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Potential Impacts from Climate Change
More rain, less snow
◦ Decreases storage held as snowpack
Earlier snowmelt
◦ Runoff comes earlier than needed
Less weather predictability
Water Authority working with other utilities to study effects and impacts
Lake Oroville – April 2010
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Maintaining Water Use Efficiency
State mandate for 20 percent reduction in water use by 2020
Maintain recent gains in conservation
◦ Regional water use down about 20% since 2007
Efficiency needs to be social norm
Emphasis on outdoor efficiency
◦ Market transformation
Water efficient planting and rotating nozzle
The amount of money the Water Authority sent to the Metropolitan Water District last year:
$241,000,000 The amount of money at dispute in the Water
Authority‟s rate lawsuit vs. MWD (over 45 years):
$1,300,000,000 -$2,100,000,000
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Supply challenges key driver of MWD rates
MWD sales declining while rates are increasing
MWD‟s flawed rate structure overcharges the Water Authority for wheeling transfer supplies
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11
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
-
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
$/A
F
Actual Sales
Projected - Expected
MWD rates (actual/projected)
FS Tier 1-LRFP Forecast 2010-2020
LRFP Forecast with annual 6% rate increases
Acre
-fe
et
MWD‟s Projected Sales in 2020 are 24% Lower than
2000-2009 Average
-32%
+55%
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MWD misallocates supply costs to transportation rate categories in violation of state law
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$330 $330
$1,033
$1,637 $1,311
$2,105
Low High
Next 10 Years 35 Year Term 45 Year Term
MWD Overcharge Forecast(in millions)
State Water Project Facilities
Colorado River Aqueduct
Water Authority Facilities
MWD Water Facilities
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But they are unwilling to do so: ◦ “…to date, most of our board members have said „we‟re
not so sure about that.‟ And, most of our member agencies have said „No. Thanks, but no thanks, because we prefer this the way it is.‟”
◦ “Should people make those firm commitments going into the future? So far, the member agencies have opted not to. They prefer it the way it is.”
-- Excerpts of remarks by MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, speaking at an August 10, 2010 public meeting in San Diego on MWD‟s draft 2010 Integrated Resources Plan (IRP).
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15
-$0.6
-$0.3
-$0.2
-$2.5
-$1.5
-$0.1
-$2.1
-$0.2
-$0.3
-$0.4
-$1.6
-$0.5
-$0.8
-$6.3
-$5.3
-$0.5
$31.0
$0.0
$0.0
-$0.4
-$0.3
-$1.4
-$0.4
-$0.5
-$2.9
-$2.0
City of Anaheim
City of Beverly Hills
City of Burbank
Calleguas MWD
Central Basin MWD
City of Compton
Eastern MWD
Foothill MWD
City of Fullerton
City of Glendale
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Las Virgenes MWD
City of Long Beach
City of Los Angeles
MWD of Orange County
City of Pasadena
San Diego County Water Authority
City of San Fernando
City of San Marino
City of Santa Ana
City of Santa Monica
Three Valleys MWD
City of Torrance
Upper San Gabriel MWD
West Basin MWD
Western MWD
OverchargeUndercharge
Average MWD Water Purchases by Member Agency (2000-09)
16
15 member agencies buy less than 2% of MWD‟s water and pay less
than 2% of MWD‟s bills
Average MWD Water Purchases by Member Agency (2000-09)
17
20 member agencies buy less than 5% of MWD‟s water and pay less
than 5% of MWD‟s bills
Average MWD Water Purchases by Member Agency (2000-09)
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One member agency buys more than 25% of MWD‟s water and pays
more than 25% of MWD‟s bills
Case assigned to San Francisco Superior Court Judge Kramer
Estimate trial court decision in early 2012
MWD has proposed terminating funding agreements with Water Authority in response to lawsuit◦ Local supply agreements
◦ Local access to MWD conservation incentives
◦ Water Authority ratepayers contribute $22 million annually; MWD would return $0 to county
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Water Authority striving to provide reliable water supply for region‟s $186 billion economy, 1.3 million full-time jobs, and the quality of life for 3.1 million people
Water Authority needs a reliable supply from MWD, at an affordable and equitable cost
Water Authority needs a fiscally sustainable MWD
◦ With sound fiscal policies, stable revenues and that respects ratepayers
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