Last Friday, President Obama signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Here are reactions from organizations and legislators to the signing of the legislation, listed in alphabetical order:
From the Association of California Water Agencies:
Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn issued the following statement today after President Barack Obama signed comprehensive water legislation into law. ACWA supported passage of S. 612, which addresses the nation’s water infrastructure needs and includes provisions to address lead in drinking water, respond to drought in California and the West and authorize key investments in drought preparedness and environmental improvements.
“We are pleased the President signed this important legislation into law. We thank Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senator Dianne Feinstein for their hard work and commitment to craft language that is consistent with our state’s policy of managing water resources for the coequal goals of enhancing ecosystem health and improving water supply reliability.
“The various provisions of S. 612 substantially complement and support the goals of Governor Brown’s comprehensive California Water Action Plan, including investing in drought resilience and ecosystem improvements.
“Enactment of this law sets the stage for more collaboration and progress in the future.”
From Congressman Jim Costa:
Today, Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following statement after the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act was signed by the President and enacted into law. The WIIN Act includes language to assist in reducing the impacts of California’s drought crisis and to build additional long-term drought resiliency:
“The implementation of this legislation will improve California’s water system as we know it,” said Rep. Jim Costa. “Its enactment is a positive step forward in a necessary series of efforts to create more reliable water supplies for the Valley and all Californians. Getting to this point required hard work and compromise from both sides of the aisle.”
Costa continued saying, “It is important for the California Congressional delegation to continue working together so we can build on this progress. Ensuring a reliable water supply for the people of the San Joaquin Valley has always been, and will remain, one of my highest priorities in Congress. Successes like this one can only happen when Congress works on a bipartisan basis. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the House, Senate, and upcoming Administration to implement permanent solutions that ensure California has a dynamic water system for all the diverse needs of the state in the 21st century.”
“The authorizations included in this legislation are of significant importance in our ongoing effort to eventually complete the New Exchequer Storage Enhancement Project,” said Hicham ElTal, MID Deputy General Manager of Water Supply Rights and Supply. “Significant work remains. However, MID is absolutely better positioned to move forward with the project as a result of this legislation. We are absolutely grateful for the work done by our local Congress Member Jim Costa. He and his staff have remained engaged with MID throughout this effort. We also appreciate the support we have received from other members of the Valley delegation of congressional representatives. Further, we greatly appreciate the efforts of Senator Dianne Feinstein. We look forward to all of their continued support as we proceed on this project.”
From Senator Jean Fuller:
Senate Republican Leader Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) issued the following statement after the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) was signed into law today.
“A stable and reliable water supply is pivotal for our farmers, businesses, and families. The drought is not ending anytime soon, and we need to act now.
“We are currently experiencing much needed rain across the state. Therefore it is crucial that we take advantage of this opportunity to capture the rainfall for future use. This critical legislation will help to streamline water infrastructure projects and delivery for our communities in the Central Valley and in Southern California.
“I commend House Majority Leader McCarthy for his leadership role in negotiating this bipartisan solution. It is a much-needed step to move our state forward,” said Senate Republican Leader Fuller.
On December 8th, Leader Fuller, Senator Tom Berryhill, Senator Anthony Cannella, Senator Andy Vidak, and other members of the San Joaquin Valley Caucus sent a letter to President Obama urging him to the sign the WIIN Act into law. Media can read the letter HERE.
From Kern County Water Agency:
Today, President Obama signed into law S. 612, the “Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act” (WIIN Act). The WIIN Act includes provisions that can increase water supplies for Kern County, and help protect and enhance those water supplies into the future.
The WIIN Act is the result of more than four years of work by Congressmen Kevin McCarthy and David Valadao, and their work with Senator Dianne Feinstein to address the effects of California’s deepening drought. The difficult negotiations to develop the WIIN Act resulted in a balanced law that improves water supplies while maintaining environmental protections for endangered species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
“This act is the first law in more than a decade that improves Kern County’s water supplies. After a series of State and federal regulations that restrict water supplies without helping endangered species, this law will advance the interests of both. The Kern County Water Agency congratulates Majority Leader McCarthy, Congressman Valadao and Senator Feinstein on this historic accomplishment,” said Agency Board of Directors President Ted Page.
Kern County’s water supplies have not yet recovered from the hydrologic and regulatory drought imposed by nature and State and federal government agencies. California normally receives more than 90 percent of its snow and rain between December and April. With the strong start to this water year, hopefully more water will be available to Kern County this year.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced an initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation on November 28, 2016 of 20 percent, which means about 200,000 acre-feet of water would be delivered to Kern County water users from the SWP in 2017—compared to the contracted amount of about one million acre-feet. A final allocation is expected to be announced in April 2017. However, the amount of water available to Kern County still depends on federal regulatory decisions, and the WIIN Act could bring more water to Kern County more often.
From Congressman Kevin McCarthy:
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released the following statement on California water legislation being signed into law as part of S. 612, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act:
“This is a great moment for California. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in the House, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and our constituents to deliver the largest reforms to California water policy in 25 years. This water deal has been years in the making and was achieved by an unwavering commitment to our communities and state. This new law will help our communities receive more water this wet season and will help move forward storage projects that will define California’s bright future. We have not solved all of California’s water challenges, but this legislation is an incredibly positive first step. I look forward to getting back to work to build on these results. But in the meantime, I am proud to have played a role in this pivotal moment for our state’s future.”
From the Metropolitan Water District:
Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California issues the following statement on S.612 being signed into law today by President Obama.
“Metropolitan thanks President Obama for today signing the WIIN Act. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of Senator Feinstein, Representative McCarthy and bipartisan progress on state and national water policy in Congress. This bill will fund needed infrastructure projects in California and is an important step to improve monitoring and decision-making in the Delta so that we can act with the best information and science possible. The long-term solution is to modernize the Delta water system via California WaterFix to address the challenges we face with the existing system in the southern Delta. We will continue working with the Brown Administration and other stakeholders to advance this goal.
From Poseidon Water:
Today, Poseidon Water commended Congress and President Barack Obama on the approval of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act). The WIIN Act includes 98-pages of California specific regulations that, for the first time in nearly twenty-five years, invests more than $500 million into California water projects.
“Not only is this a critical water bill for the nation, but it also recognizes desalination as a way to address California’s current drought and long-term water shortages,” said Carlos Riva, Chief Executive Officer of Poseidon Water. “The allocation of funds for desalination projects is huge and will give Californians the opportunity to move forward with a multi-pronged approach to combatting our perpetual drought conditions.”
Specifically, the California portion of the WIIN Act will direct $30 million to desalination projects, including Poseidon’s proposed Huntington Beach Desalination Facility currently under review by state regulatory permitting agencies. The WIIN Act also allocates $150 million to water recycling and water conservation projects, $335 million to groundwater and surface storage projects and $43 million to projects that benefit fish and wildlife.
Poseidon’s flagship facility – The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant – is the largest, most environmentally friendly and technologically advanced desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. Since its grand opening last December, the Carlsbad plant has successfully delivered over 15 billion gallons of water to San Diego County residents. The plant has received many awards and accolades, including ‘Project of the Year’ named by Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and ‘Energy Champion’ named by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
Poseidon is currently working to secure required permits for a similar project in Huntington Beach. The Huntington Beach plant will be the first large-scale water treatment plant in California to be 100% carbon neutral. Poseidon has also submitted a proposed Marine Life Mitigation Plan to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board that involves providing long-term financial support for the maintenance and restoration of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.
The Huntington Beach plant will aid California in being independent of importing water from non-local water sources. Producing 56,000-acre feet per year (50 million gallons per day) of locally controlled, drought-proof drinking water. The Huntington Beach Project is the single largest source of new, local drinking water supply available to the region. In May 2015, Poseidon and the Orange County Water District reached agreement on the terms for the District to purchase the facility’s full 50 million gallons-per-day capacity.
From Restore the Delta:
Today, President Obama signed the Water Resources Development Act. This law will fund dozens of new, and necessary, water infrastructure projects around the nation including funds to help install safe water pipelines in Flint, Michigan.
The bill generated great controversy last week when it was hijacked by Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) who added a last-minute, special-interest “rider” to the bill at the request of agricultural interests in the San Joaquin Valley.
The offense to Northern California and Oregon fishing communities was summed up well in today’s editorial in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
“…Sen. Dianne Feinstein has cut a deal with Congressional Republicans on legislation that will take much-needed water from Northern California’s fragile waterways — and its vulnerable fish — and hand it over to farmers and businesses in the Central Valley.”
This last minute rider was a shock to the retiring Senator Barbara Boxer and she spoke out against it on the Senate floor last week. Boxer called the rider a “devastating maneuver” and a “poison pill” designed to undermine the Endangered Species Act by changing restrictions on the amount and time that water could be delivered to the agricultural districts in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. Federal biologists had set delta flows to protect endangered and threatened fish species who have suffered devastating losses during the state’s prolonged drought.
Worse than that, Boxer spoke of the process, and why the American people “hate Congress” these days. “One of the things they hate about Congress is when we have a special interest rider dropped on a bill,” Senator Boxer said in her speech on the Senate Floor on December 9, 2016.
In a letter asking President Obama to veto the bill, Restore the Delta executive director, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said of the rider, “It will worsen water quality not only for San Francisco Bay-Delta fisheries, but for the hundreds of thousands of people who make up the Delta’s environmental justice communities.” She also warned that the rider “…will lead to further water quality degradation in the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and set the course for future raids by Federal agencies on freshwater supplies from the Delta.”
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