Water Supply Challenges, Opportunities and Rising Water Rates

Key Topics at Inaugural SGV Water Forum

The first ever San Gabriel Valley Water Forum convened at the Pomona Fairplex on August 28, brought together over 300 city officials, business leaders, water managers, educators, students and citizens that began a conversation about water in the San Gabriel Valley.
The purpose of the Water Forum, hosted by five partner agencies that include the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster and the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, was to bring together many stakeholders in the San Gabriel Valley and start a dialogue about the issues and challenges facing all regarding the long term sustainability of the quality and reliability of the Valley’s water supply; how they are being addressed and the impact on future water rates.
The Forum began with a comprehensive historical overview of how the Valley was settled, its founding land owners, the rivers, floods, population growth and economy, that drove the incorporation of cities, development of water and flood control infrastructure., In addition, the development of policies, laws, regulations and judicial judgments that created the framework that governs the production, distribution, consumption and the usage of water in the Valley was shared with the audience.
A series of speakers and expert panels led the discussion on various water supply options, including reuse, conservation, stormwater capture and management of the groundwater. A focus of the Forum was a discussion around the many factors contributing toward rising water rates including: meeting increasingly stringent drinking water quality standards, the uncertainty of the impact of climate change; rising energy costs, aging infrastructure in need of replacement; and recurring drought conditions that add to the scarcity of water supply. Several panelists discussed the challenge of addressing the declining ecosystem in the Bay Delta where regulatory pumping restrictions limit the ability to replenish the local groundwater basin through the State Water Project.
While an average single family household’s bill has increased over 7% per year since 2003, water bills in the San Gabriel Valley are generally some of the lowest in Southern California due to the relatively inexpensive groundwater supplies and modest dependence on the imported water system. The San Gabriel Valley, with its varied and balanced portfolio of reliable and affordable water supplies, is well placed to address future challenges by investing wisely in water conservation, recycling and additional stormwater capture, and most importantly, by carefully managing its precious groundwater resource.

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