A bill that will provide an affordable water reserve in the California Central Basin Aquifer—which can be used by Long Beach and other Southern California cities in dry times—was passed by the State Assembly by a vote of 50-5 on August 9.
The bill clarifies authority over groundwater storage in the aquifer and in the process, provides a water reserve that can be used to stave off high water rates in dry periods. This is good news for the twenty-four cities across southeastern Los Angeles County—including Long Beach, Lakewood, Cerritos and South Gate—that receive groundwater from the Central Basin. Long Beach’s own Senator Alan Lowenthal authored the bill.
The Central Basin Aquifer currently has about 330,000 acre feet of additional underground storage capacity, which could be used by local water agencies to store water more cheaply and be able to provide an additional backup supply in dry years when imported water is much more expensive.
Recently, there have been efforts by the Central Basin Municipal Water District to assume control of groundwater storage in the aquifer—moves which could potentially add layers of new bureaucracy and additional costs.
“The entire Legislature has shown they agree with me that we need to reduce the bureaucracy and allow our local governments to improve their water supplies and reliability,” Lowenthal said. “This bill will help us to utilize the Central Basin aquifer as a water bank, reducing our reliance on imported water and potentially saving us from higher water rates in dry years.”
SB1386 clarifies state law already in existence by establishing that one entity—the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, which has historically been tasked with groundwater issues—is responsible for managing groundwater in the region.
“Without this bill, continued efforts by the Central Basin Municipal Water District will lead to more litigation, more costly legal fees, and higher water rates for our region,” Lowenthal said. “Enough is enough, it’s time we move forward as a region and I believe SB1386 provides us with the path to resolution.”
SB1386 previously passed the Senate by a vote of 31-4 on May 17, but was moved back to the Senate for a routine concurrence vote before heading to the Governor’s desk for a signature.