Agency Endorses Water Bond for November 2014 Ballot

The Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014: Proposition One

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Beaumont – The San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency Board of Directors, at its September 15 meeting, voted unanimously to adopt a formal position in support of the $7.545 billion water bond measure set for the November ballot.

Titled the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, the bond will appear as Proposition 1 on the ballot.  The Agency Board voted to support the measure, saying it contains much-needed funding for new surface and groundwater storage projects, regional water reliability, sustainable groundwater management and cleanup, water recycling, water conservation, watershed protection, and safe drinking water, particularly for disadvantaged communities.  “This is the first water bond to appear on the ballot since 2006.  We are in the third year of a drought, both the state and our region need more storage, and this region needs financial support for water conservation and water recycling projects, so there is a lot to like in this bond issue” said Board President John Jeter.

The bond measure was approved in a bipartisan vote by the Legislature and signed by Governor Jerry Brown on August 13.  It is considered a critical element of the state’s comprehensive water plan.  A diverse array of interest groups supports the measure, including organizations representing water, agriculture, the conservation community, labor, and business.  The measure is supported unanimously by the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA).

“The ongoing drought has underscored the fact that we need a comprehensive, statewide water plan to create a more resilient water system and meet legislatively mandated co-equal goals of improved water supply reliability and ecosystem health”, General Manager Jeff Davis said.  “If approved by voters, Proposition 1 will advance such a plan by funding programs and projects throughout the state  to help combat drought and other challenges and secure the future for our children and grandchildren.”

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San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency is one of 29 State Water Project contractors whose mission is to import supplemental water, to protect and enhance local water supplies for use by present and future water users and to sell imported water to local water districts within its service area extending from Calimesa to Cabazon in western Riverside County, California.

For more information, please contact General Manager Jeff Davis at 951/845-2577.

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