The San Diego County Water Authority is expected to generate $15 million in revenue during the first five years of a long-term agreement announced Thursday that will allow Burbank, in Los Angeles County, to purchase water from the agency.
Under the agreement, Burbank will be able to purchase up to 5,000 acre- feet of water annually through 2047, according to the Water Authority.
The agencies will use existing infrastructure to share the water, with no new pipelines required. Water Authority officials said revenue from the agreement will help offset costs associated with investments made over the past three decades to improve San Diego County's water supply reliability.
"For the third time this year, the Water Authority found a way to help partners in Southern California lock in the water reliability they're looking for in a way that benefits working families across San Diego County," Water Authority Board Chair Nick Serrano said. "This is another `win-win' that shows the kind of innovative leadership we need to manage water in a way that positively impacts everyone."
The agreement is the Water Authority's third regional water supply partnership announced this year. The agency signed two water supply agreements with water agencies in Riverside County in the spring.
The Water Authority also entered into a memorandum of understanding with the federal government and other parties to explore transferring locally produced desalinated seawater to Colorado River Basin partners in other states.
Burbank, which has a population of about 104,000, has no naturally occurring water rights and relies entirely on imported water supplied by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. That water comes from the State Water Project and Colorado River Aqueduct.
"This agreement will diversify Burbank's water portfolio while helping us meet future demand as our population and business community grow," Burbank Water and Power Assistant General Manager of Water Richard Wilson said. "Regional water exchange agreements like this one will be critical not only for Burbank but for all Southern California water agencies to ensure long-term reliability and supply."
The Water Authority's recently completed Urban Water Management Plan projects that the San Diego region will have sufficient supplies to meet water demand through at least 2050 under normal, single-dry-year and multiple-dry-year conditions.
The Water Authority provides wholesale water supplies to 22 retail water providers serving about 3.3 million residents in San Diego County.
