SB 72 Implementation
With its unanimous legislative support and signing by the governor, SB 72 was a monumental step in securing California’s water supply future. But our work is not over, it’s only the beginning.
The state must use all strategies and solutions to address the perpetual water supply crisis.
While conservation efforts remain vital, they alone are insufficient to address future water supply deficits.
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New investments in stormwater capture, water recycling, desalination, and storage and conveyance infrastructure are essential to addressing the state’s water supply crisis, which includes the climate whiplash of wet and dry years.
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SB 72 codified the need for DWR to adapt water strategies and tactics to meet the demands of California’s changing environment, expanding economy, and growing population.
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While SB 72 does not prescribe specific solutions to reach the additional 9 MAF, it allows the state to be creative to find the best combination of strategies to reach the needed critical supply by 2040.
The need for a reliable, comprehensive water plan is critical to California’s future, funding must be a priority.
A comprehensive California Water Plan will be an important part of California’s effort to reduce costs and address affordability challenges facing every community: food, power, housing and many other cost drivers depend on a reliable and adequate water supply, which will take funding to ensure implementation as intended.
Ensuring adequate resources is essential to successful implementation. This will have a direct impact on DWR’s ability to deliver on the mandates in SB 72.
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The state cannot afford to not fund SB 72. The cost of inaction is far more than the $6.8 million annual appropriation.