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Attendees at the annual Southern California Water Conference heard a passionate plea on behalf of the proposed Delta Conveyance Project.
That project, endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, calls for the construction of a single tunnel in the Delta. Water would then move freely from the Sacramento River to facilities in the south Delta.
The Delta Conveyance Project is vital to California’s future quality of life, said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, a statewide non-profit that buys water from the State Water Project and delivers it to an estimated 27 million state residents.
“We used to rely on the snowpacks for most of our water, but we can’t do that anymore,” Pierre told the gathering of 300 in Ontario. “Our infrastructure doesn’t allow for that anymore.
“We need to make major investments in our delivery system, starting with this project.”
Pierre was the keynote speaker at this year’s conference, which was held Friday at the Doubletree Hotel. The Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California hosted the event. Attendees also heard panel discussions on water and housing, water efficiency, water supply, and water affordability.
The Southern California Water Conference is an annual forum for multi-agency dialogue. Since 2007, more than 4,000 people have come together to discuss issues such as groundwater depletion, water quality issues, strict regulations, monumental infrastructure expenditures and alternative sources of water.
