Senator Anna M. Caballero Announces Statewide Legislative Strategy to Ensure Water for All Californians
For Immediate Release
Contact: Elisa Rivera (559) 264-3070
Senator Anna M. Caballero Announces Statewide Legislative Strategy to Ensure Water for All Californians
Senate Bill 366 Sets Long-Term Water Supply Targets to Combat State’s Water Challenges
Sacramento, CA – A reliable and sustainable water supply is critical to every aspect of California’s economy and the quality of life for all Californians. That is why Senator Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced) is authoring Senate Bill 366, The California Water for All initiative, as an important step in creating adequate statewide water supplies for future generations.
Senate Bill 366 would establish bold, necessary water supply targets to capture and produce enough water for all uses, including communities, agriculture, and the environment. By modernizing the California Water Plan for a 21st century climate, SB 366 ensures accountability for state agencies on water management issues.
“Despite decades of work to improve California’s water system, our infrastructure remains inadequate to meet present needs and is woefully unprepared to meet future needs,” Senator Caballero said. “The targets set in place by SB 366 would create new accountability and effectively generate a commitment from the State, the water community, and stakeholders to follow through on comprehensive, long-term water supply solutions that will transform water management for generations to come.”
While recent storms have been helpful, a combination of factors, including the driest three-year period in 1,200 years, an aging infrastructure, a growing population and economy, antiquated state policies, and climate change, have created a challenge that threatens the survival of some communities and sectors of the economy and jobs. This year’s storms will not resolve years of drought and have further illustrated aspects of our water supply infrastructure that are critically flawed and incapable of delivering contractual water supplies in times of abundance.
If enacted, SB 366 would establish long-term water supply targets for the State to achieve, require a financing plan, and would update the requirement that state agencies develop a plan to achieve those targets, in consultation with local water agencies, wastewater service providers and other stakeholders.
“The targets established in SB 366 would complement and amplify Governor Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy, ensuring there are water supply targets that extend beyond any single Administration,” said Barry Moline, Executive Director, California Municipal Utilities Association. “California policymakers, the water community, and all stakeholders need to work together to get California’s water supply on the right track for future generations and we applaud Senator Caballero for her leadership on SB 366.”
California has a long and successful track record setting targets through legislation in several sectors to establish desired change benefiting the State, residents, and businesses, including housing, climate, workforce development, education, transportation, and public safety. However, when it comes to water, targets are needed we cannot afford to wait any longer.
Impacts are already felt in low-income and rural areas and farmers have had to fallow more than 400,000 acres. According to a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California, “The Future of Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley,” the biggest challenge for agriculture is a projected 20% decline in water supplies in the future, threatening 50,000 jobs and a GDP decline of $4.5 billion, resulting in the fallowing of 900,000 acres.
“As farms are starved of water, California sacrifices not just critical food production and jobs in agriculture, but the economic health of entire regions of the state,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “It is not sustainable. SB 366 represents an overdue end to the decades of futzing and fighting that have transformed the state from water secure to water crisis.”
To learn more about CA Water for All and SB 366, visit www.CaWaterforAll.com
For interviews or inquiries, please contact Elisa Rivera at (559) 264-3070.
Senator Anna M. Caballero represents the 14th Senate District, composed of majority portions of Merced, Fresno and Madera Counties. Senator Caballero serves as the Interim Representative for the Salinas Valley and San Benito County until 2024 when a newly elected Senator will assume the district.
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