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[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 4/28/08

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

April 28 2008

 

2. Supply –

 

 

 

Mayor urges united support of delta-repair bond measure

Bay Area News Group – 4/27/ 2008

By Stephen Baxter

Water authority leaders are praising San Jose residents for cutting back water use in recent years, but they warn that half the city's water supply hinges on fixing levees at the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

The San Jose City Council recently met with the Santa Clara Valley Water District board to discuss water supply and delivery challenges. San Jose receives roughly half its water from the delta, and Mayor Chuck Reed said that city officials should prepare to support a potential state bond measure on the November ballot aimed at fortifying the delta.

City and Santa Clara Valley Water District leaders at the meeting said they would start coordinating projects that could use possible state bond money, including desalinization and recycled water programs.

Reed said he met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's staff four weeks ago to discuss the delta, and they convinced him of the importance of repairing it.

Aging levees, salt issues and animal habitat concerns have focused controversy on the area in recent years. Natural disasters also could cripple its supply to the South Bay.

"The thing that got me was that one 6.5 earthquake could knock out water there and put it under salt water," Reed said.

Reed said most state lawmakers agree that the delta is due for repair, but they disagree on details. Water district board member Tony Estremera was less optimistic that a ballot measure would appear in November, as

 

 

a similar effort in Sacramento sank in 2007 in part because of controversial new reservoirs.

"Water conservation is something we can do while those guys are dithering up there," Estremera said, referring to state lawmakers. The Santa Clara Valley Water District, a wholesale water supplier, is trying to build on its successful residential water conservation campaign by focusing on low water-use landscaping and recycled water in businesses and public buildings. It is also participating in a regional study on desalinization plants based in Contra Costa County.#

http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_9073181

 

 

 

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