News of the Arroyo
Title: | Preventing a water shortage |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2007-11-18 |
Summary: | November 18, 2007 - The critical need for water infrastructure needs is emphasized in this Star-News editorial. |
Author: | Editorial |
Publication: | Pasadena Star-News |
Content: | WHEN 100 policy experts from the U.S. were asked this summer to rank the most pressing infrastructure needs, more ranked \"reliability of the water supply\" (22 percent) than any other need, more than \"mass transit\" or \"highway capacity.\" In the South, the drought has dried up surface water supplies and brought the governor of Georgia to his knees - literally. On Tuesday he prayed publicly for rain to fall from the heavens. Here, in semi-arid Southern California, water conservation plans are being ratcheted up. But there\'s been a lot more infrastructure planning. Last year, the voters approved a package of bonds, including two relating to water, Prop. 1E, a $4.1 billion bond for flood protection to repair levees in the Central Valley, and Prop. 84, a $5.4 billion \"Environmental Protection and Water Quality Bond.\" While conservation is key to outlasting the latest drought cycle, being prepared for water emergencies both now and in the future takes planning and capital projects. While we supported these water bond measures as good investments, as did a large majority of California voters, the state has moved too slowly in the year that has passed. According to experts gathered at USC last week -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- held by the Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy, less than one-third of the Prop. 84 bonds have been committed as of today. Like we wrote last week on transportation bonds, a foot-dragging bureaucracy and a politically charged process has gummed up the works. We would suggest that before putting on the ballot another bond for water quantity and quality, a more direct method is put in place for spending these bonds and identifying specific projects. Some at the USC conference leaned toward formation of a citizens advisory committee whose members are appointed by the Legislature and governor. It would have the power to dole out checks to worthy projects. We like the way Metropolitan Water District approached the process, by of course supporting better water flow through the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta and by granting money to local member agencies. In water, it is the local districts and water purveyors who supply the water to customers - homeowners and businesses. The money needs to flow to local agencies who have their finger on the spigot of key water projects. One of those projects we\'d like to see get funded - if not in the approved bonds than certainly in future ones coming out of Sacramento\'s long-delayed water sessions - is cleanup of the San Gabriel Basin\'s polluted ground-water hot spots. Where pollution has seeped into the ground water and shut down wells, water companies must find other water sources, often that means using much more costly and more precious imported supplies from the Delta and the Colorado River. Instead of relying on shrinking, long-distance supplies, why not clean up polluted basin wells so local water agencies can start pumping again? Unfortunately, ground water cleanup stands little chance of funding from Prop. 84 or Prop. 1E. New bonds being discussed in Sacramento stand a better chance of reaching local aquifers thanks to state Sen. Gloria Romero and Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, both local Democrats. However, local Republicans such as Sen. Bob Margett, R-Industry, and Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, have not delivered. They are not players. Too often, local Republicans are not in the discussion and that prevents our area from benefitting from statewide bonds. Republicans may be citing objections to an added debt burden or are sticking to \"the party line,\" but that hasn\'t stopped other Republicans from helping out their districts, namely Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-San Jose, whose district stretches from Santa Maria to Carmel. Republicans and Democrats must come to the table, particularly as the next water bond gets formulated. Local projects - including cleanup of our ground water - must be in the mix. Our local ground water basins are a hedge against the current drought and future droughts. But if we overpump them and pollute them, without any remediation, we\'ll be wasting our own precious water resource. And then we may find ourselves praying for rain. |
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