California water officials are preparing for another dry year. A two year drought shows no signs of letting up. A state agency is creating a water bank next year. It's one way San Diego might get more water. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.
The water bank is a way to deal with the severe drought that's gripped the state for two years.
Susan Sims is the chief deputy director for the Department of Water Resources.
She says while it doesn't create more water, the bank is intended to move water to areas that are experiencing shortages.
Sims: Where we buy water from willing sellers mostly farmers, mostly here in the Sacramento and Northern California areas. And put that into a water bank that can then become available for water agencies in San Diego, Southern California, the Inland Empire as well as some of the coastal communities.
Sims says buyers would be required to cut their normal use by 20 percent as a condition of participating in the water bank.
San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Maureen Stapleton says the bank is another way to boost the local supply.
Stapleton: We're actually looking to all opportunities in which we can obtain additional water to make sure that we offset as much as possible any potential cut in future years.
She says details on how the water bank would work are still being decided by state and local water officials.
It's been one of the driest periods on record in California.
Most state reservoirs have less water than usual, and some are near record lows.
And the state Department of Food and Agriculture says this year's drought has already cost farmers $260 million in losses.
Ed Joyce, KPBS News.
