Proposal advances critical water infrastructure to protect affordable, reliable supplies for California communities
From the State Water Contractors:
A robust and wide-ranging coalition of groups representing labor, business, disadvantaged communities, environmental justice advocates and water agencies, alongside 28 bipartisan state legislators, have formally expressed support for Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget trailer bill to streamline administrative processes needed to advance the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP).
Supporters of the Governor’s proposal all agree that streamlining the state’s administrative processes to advance the DCP will help California address future droughts, protect water affordability and build climate-resilient infrastructure faster and more efficiently.
“The Governor’s budget trailer bill is not about circumventing environmental protections or greenlighting construction,” said Jennifer Pierre, General Manager for the State Water Contractors. “This budget trailer bill is all about breaking through redundant, archaic processes that have resulted in endless delays, duplicative reviews and millions upon millions of dollars of additive costs, while impeding the State’s ability to complete the DCP and other critical, needed infrastructure projects.”
The Delta Conveyance Project is a linchpin of California’s long-term water strategy, designed to modernize the aging State Water Project, increase its reliability and ensure water equity for millions of Californians.
The State Water Project is California’s primary water distribution system, providing an affordable source of high-quality, clean water for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of agricultural land. The Department of Water Resources estimates that each year of delay to the DCP costs the state $500–$600 million, with the burden falling most heavily on ratepayers — including nearly 8 million residents in disadvantaged communities across the state.
The DCP protects an economy of $2.3 trillion — $19 billion alone in agriculture — and 8.7 million full-time jobs, prompting labor leaders to underscore the economic and workforce benefits of moving the project forward.
“In working toward climate resilience and economic strength, this project checks every box,” said Keith Dunn, spokesperson for the California State Building and Construction Trades Council in a June 5 letter to the legislature. “It modernizes essential infrastructure, reduces costs for ratepayers, creates thousands of union jobs and reinforces our state’s ability to protect both natural resources and working-class prosperity.”
The Project has already undergone rigorous, transparent environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, including a 142-day public comment period and responses to more than 7,000 public comments, including more than 150 government-to-government Tribal consultations, along with site visits and extensive Tribal review and comment. The project has been right-sized and redesigned to reduce its environmental footprint and respond to local concerns, reflecting years of public input. The Project also includes a $200 million Community Benefits Program to identify and implement local projects that can provide tangible and lasting benefits to local Delta communities.
“Without action, the ability of the State Water Project to reliably deliver water to homes, farms, and businesses will decline,” said a group of 28 bipartisan state legislators in a June 5 letter of support. “Now is the time for California to update and upgrade this critical infrastructure to ensure that families, businesses, and farmers get the water they need, when they need it, and to avoid catastrophic results for millions of Californians if we fail to modernize this system in advance of a significant natural disaster event.
