Hotter, drier conditions will continue to create water supply challenges across West

March, 2023 – San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl today responded to Gov. Newsom’s announcement rolling back major elements of state drought regulations. 

“However, the past three years of extreme drought have highlighted fundamental challenges with water management statewide. We cannot and should not lose the urgency created by the drought to improve water transfer markets, increase state investments in water infrastructure, and continue adoption of low-water landscapes.

“And we must not forget that the Colorado River remains mired in decades of hot, dry weather that require new thinking about water use and conservation across the West. Fundamentally, we are no longer talking about drought but an entirely different reality than we were in decades past – the era of climate-driven impacts to our natural resources.

“Every person in San Diego and the western U.S. must continue to eliminate water waste, adopt low-water landscapes, capture rainwater, and take other steps to adapt to a hotter and drier future. It will not be easy or cheap. But the alternative is a return to more drought-related emergencies like California experienced over the past three years.”

The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $268 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 24 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base.