A recent report released by the Orange County Grand Jury called for the county’s two water agencies to join as “one voice” to manage water resources more efficiently, but some officials said consolidating the two might be too difficult to be beneficial.
The county’s water currently comes from two sources: the Orange County Water District, which draws water from a basin beneath north and central county, and the Municipal Water District of Orange County, which imports water from the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles.
Either, according to the report, would require “a combination of governance and local and state legislative changes.”
The report stated that “[m]ultiple water experts agree it is time to coordinate strategies in water conservation, development of new supply and infrastructure, and preparation for the possibility of continued drought, disaster, and State-mandated water cutbacks,” despite potential “political, administrative, and operational challenges.”
The OC Water District expressed its support for consolidation on June 22, shortly after the Grand Jury’s report was released.
The agency plans to meet with water managers countywide “to discuss an inclusive and open process to create a unified, strong voice for Orange County,” according to the statement.
“The grand jury makes consolidation seem like a simple venture, but in the past, we’ve looked at it, and it just wouldn’t work,” Micalizzi told The Epoch Times.
In addition, Micalizzi said, consolidation would lead to a larger board with less accountability—while the county would lose a seat on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, an umbrella agency made up of 26 local water agencies across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Diego, and Riverside counties.
The Municipal Water District’s board plans to discuss the Grand Jury report during its July 5 board meeting.
