[00:00:01]
YES,[CALL TO ORDER]
CHAIR CORDERO[ROLL CALL]
HERE AND MEMBER AUSTINGOING ONTO THE REGULAR AGENDA,
[REGULAR AGENDA]
UM, WE'RE GOING TO WITHDRAW ITEM[1. 26-54353 Recommendation to approve February 5, 2026 Planning Committee meeting minutes. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES.SO WE'LL MOVE THAT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
I'M, UH, DINA, OR WE'RE GOING TO THE FULL BOARD PLANNING MEETING.
UM, ITEM NUMBER TWO, RECEIVE AND
[2. 26-54354 Recommendation to receive and file Water Supply Update. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FILE THE WATER SUPPLY UPDATE.AND WE HAVE DEAN WANG, WHO'S, UH, GONNA BE DOING THIS FOR US.
I HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE MOVE.
AND WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE, AND I'LL SECOND, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OH, NO, WE DON'T DO THAT TO THE END.
UH, DO I HAVE THE CLICKER HERE OR RUN UP? THANK YOU, MURPHY.
IF I GO UP THERE, I FEEL STRANGE, UH, PRESENTING FROM HERE AND THEN YOU GUYS LOOK IN THERE AND I, I I CAN EITHER WAY.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL JUST GO THERE.
UH, TYPICALLY WE DO THESE, UH, EACH YEAR AND DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SEQUENCES.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAVE HERE ON THIS SLIDE IS THE, THE WATER YEAR, STARTING IN OCTOBER AND GOING THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE, UH, INDICATED BY THE COLORS, UH, LIGHT BLUE MEANS, UH, BEGINNING OF THE WATER YEAR, THERE'S SOME CHANCE FOR RAIN STARTING IN OCTOBER.
OUR CLIMATE HERE IN CALIFORNIA IS, UH, MEDITERRANEAN, MEANING WE, WE HAVE WET WINTERS AND, AND DRY SUMMERS.
AND SO AS WE GET INTO THE WATER YEAR, UH, THERE'S A SMALL CHANCE FOR RAIN IN OCTOBER, SLIGHTLY MORE IN NOVEMBER.
AND TYPICALLY DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH IS WHEN WE GET THE, UH, SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE, THE RAINFALL EACH YEAR.
AND THEN AS WE GO INTO APRIL AND MAY IS WHEN THAT, THAT RAINFALL TAPERS OFF.
AND THEN THE SUMMER MONTHS OF JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER, THERE'S ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, KNOWN RAINFALL EXPECTED.
AND SO, UH, TYPICALLY EACH YEAR, UH, IN DECEMBER IS WHEN YOU'LL SEE THE INITIAL STATE WATER PROJECT ALLOCATION.
AND SO THAT MEANS THE STATE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES LOOKS AT THE WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS, FACTORS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS, AND DECIDES HOW MUCH WATER WILL INITIALLY BE MADE AVAILABLE TO STATE WATER PROJECT CONTRACTORS.
AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE, THE WET SEASON, UH, THE, THE STATE, UM, UH, UPDATES THEIR ALLOCATION.
I'M GIVING YOU A WATER SUPPLY UPDATE.
NOW, TYPICALLY IN, IN WET YEARS OR WHEN WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS AREN'T SO DIRE, UH, WE, WE DON'T DO MONTHLY, UH, WATER SUPPLY UPDATES, BUT AS WE MOVE INTO THE DRIER YEARS, UH, THERE'S A LOT MORE INTEREST IN, UM, UH, I GUESS URGENCY TO WATER SUPPLY UPDATES.
AND SO DURING REALLY DRY YEARS, WE FIND THAT WE, WE DO WATER SUPPLY UPDATES EVERY MONTH.
BUT, UH, GIVEN THE, THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, UH, HERE WE ARE IN FEBRUARY AND FIRST WATER SUPPLY UPDATE OF THE YEAR.
UH, WHAT'S EXPECTED MOVING FORWARD, UH, WILL BE, UH, THE FINAL WATER, UH, STATE WATER PROJECT ALLOCATION.
SO THE STATE LOOKS AT THE, ESSENTIALLY THE ENTIRETY OF THE, THE WET SEASON, AND THEY MAKE A DETERMINATION AND HOW MUCH WATER WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE, UH, TO STATE WATER PROJECT OUT, UM, UH, CONTRACTORS.
UH, SO GIVEN THE CONDITIONS OF THIS YEAR AND THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL WET YEARS IN A ROW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT IN DROUGHT, AND THERE MIGHT MIGHT NOT BE SUCH AN URGENCY TO MONTHLY WATER S SUPPLY UPDATES, ONE OF THE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE ARE IN REALLY WET CONDITIONS IS THE FACT THAT, UM, THERE WILL BE A, A POSSIBILITY THAT, UH, THE REGION AS A WHOLE NEEDS TO FIND PLACES TO PUT, UH, FOOT WATER, UH, INTO STORAGE.
AND I'LL SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE LATER.
UH, BUT SO, SO IF WE LOOK AT OUR THREE DIFFERENT WATER SUPPLIES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, GROUNDWATER, UM, UH, IMPORTED WATER, AND THEN RECYCLED WATER.
UH, TODAY I'M GONNA FOCUS, UM, ON THE GROUNDWATER AND, AND IMPORTED WATER SECTIONS.
BUT WE'LL FIRST TAKE A LOOK AT, AT GROUNDWATER.
SO FOR GROUNDWATER, WE LOOK LOCALLY, UH, TO WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE HERE, RAIN, UH, IN SNOWFALL HERE LOCALLY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
AND WHAT THIS CHART IS, IS A, A CHART OF THE LOCAL PRECIPITATION, UH, AT THE WEATHER STATIONS AT AZUSA, DOWNTOWN LA LA AIRPORT, LONG BEACH AIRPORT, TORRANCE AIRPORT, WHITTIER HILLS.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, UM, THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE RAINFALL IS THIS GREEN LINE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, THIS YEAR, BACK IN, UH, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, LEADING INTO JANUARY, WE HAD REALLY, REALLY WET WEATHER.
UH, SO EVEN IF IT DIDN'T RAIN ANYMORE AT THE END OF, UH, DECEMBER, WE'D BE ALREADY PRETTY CLOSE TO THE AVERAGE RAINFALL YEAR HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
NOW, BETWEEN, UH, THEN AND, UH, JUST UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, IT WAS VERY FLAT.
BUT AS YOU, YOU KNOW, SEE THE WEATHER OUTSIDE AND THE FORECAST FOR NEXT WEEK, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA, UH, EASILY EXCEED THE AVERAGE RAINFALL FOR THIS YEAR.
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SO, LOOKING AT THE CONDITIONS, UH, BACK IN NOVEMBER 28TH, BASICALLY BEFORE ALL THAT SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL HERE LOCALLY, OUR GROUNDWATER SUPPLY, UM, WAS AT ABOUT 65% OF WHAT'S CALLED THE OPTIMUM QUANTITY.AND SO, BASICALLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND AQUIFER, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY A GIANT BATHTUB.
AND OUR GIANT BATHTUB WAS, UH, ABOUT 65%, UM, NOT FULL.
IT WAS 65% OF ITS WAY TO THE OPTIMUM QUANTITY.
SO MAYBE THINK ABOUT THE BATHTUB IT HAS THAT OVERFLOW, MAYBE IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THAT, THAT 65% GETTING INTO THAT OVERFLOW.
I SAY IT'S NOT THE FULL BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY NOT A STOP AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN AT A HUNDRED PERCENT WE CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE WATER INTO THE GROUND, UH, GROUNDWATER BASIN.
UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE ROOM ABOVE THE OPTIMUM QUANTITY.
AND SO OPTIMUM MEANS THE, THE OPTIMUM, OPTIMUM MEANING, UM, IT'S THE IDEAL LEVEL FOR THE BASIS, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN NECESSARILY THAT THE THE BASIN IS TOO FULL TO TAKE ANY MORE WATER.
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, AS WE MOVED INTO DECEMBER AFTER ALL THAT RAINFALL, WE THEN GOT TO 99% OF THE BASIN OPTIMUM QUANTITY.
AND SO NOW YOU LOOK AT ALL THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL, UH, I DON'T WANT YOU GUYS TO THINK THAT THERE'S NO, NO PLACE TO PUT THIS WATER.
THERE IS, THERE'S STILL ROOM IN THE BASIN.
AND SO I ANTICIPATE IN THE NEXT, UM, UH, REPORT THAT, UH, WATER FLEDGEMAN DISTRICT PUTS OUT THAT THEY'LL SHOW, UH, A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING PERCENT OF OUR OPTIMUM QUANTITY.
IT'S WHERE OUR BASIN WILL BE AT.
AND THAT'S JUST A NICE PICTURE OF THE, THE SPREADING GROUND.
SO ALL THIS RAIN GETS DIVERTED, UM, OFF OF THE, OF THE, UH, SAN GABRIEL AND HONDO INTO WHAT ARE CALLED SPREADING BASINS.
AND SO, UH, BASICALLY THE WATER, UM, UH, THE BOTTOMS OF THESE BASINS ARE VERY, UH, EASY TO, TO PERCOLATE WATER INTO THE ACTUAL GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT WE HAD EARLIER, UH, ON THE 96 YEARS, NOT THE 96 SCENARIOS, REMEMBER HYDROLOGY? YEAH.
HYDROLOGY, AND THEN THE GROUNDWATER WAS THE FIRST PORTION.
UM, WHERE DOES GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT COME IN TO THAT DO, IS THAT A, IS THAT A CONS, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THE FUTURE? IS THAT, CAN WE BE ASSURED OF THAT? I MEAN, IS THERE CONCERNS? IS THERE, HOW DO YOU SURE.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I'LL START ACTUALLY GETTING INTO SOME OF THE TOPICS I HAVE IN MY SECOND PRESENTATION.
BUT, UM, WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT MANAGES OUR BASIN.
IT'S ADJUDICATED, MEANING PEOPLE CAN ONLY TAKE OUT SO MUCH, BUT AS THE WATER MASTER, WATER PLEN DISTRICT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE WATER LEVELS IN THE GROUNDWATER BASIN ARE MAINTAINED.
AND THEY CAN DO THAT HISTORICALLY BY USING IMPORTED WATER, UH, METROPOLITAN, THEY'LL BUY METROPOLITAN WATER AND, AND, AND, UH, SUPPLEMENT WHAT, UH, NATURAL RAINFALL CAN'T PROVIDE, RIGHT? SO IN DRIER YEARS, OR UH, UH, CONSECUTIVE DRY YEARS, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO BUY MORE IMPORTED WATER HISTORICALLY.
BUT THEY'VE BEEN MOVING TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE FROM, UH, IMPORTED WATER.
THEY, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE CALLING IT ESSENTIALLY NOT RELYING ON IMPORTED WATER AT ALL AND SWITCHING OVER TO RECYCLED WATER SUPPLIES TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT NATURAL RAINFALL DOESN'T, UH, PROVIDE.
SO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT, UH, SUPPLIES AVAILABLE TO MANAGE REPLENISHMENT.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY IN THE DIFFERENT HYDROLOGY, WE'RE SHOWING NO SHORTAGE.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE MULTIPLE SUPPLIES AS WELL AS NOW THEY'RE MOVING TOWARDS A MORE RELIABLE REPLENISHMENT SUPPLY FOR THE BASIN.
SO THERE'S REALLY, IT'S THE NATURAL, THE WA THE RAINFALL FIRST.
AND THEN ALSO YOU HAVE THE IMPORTED WATER, AND THEN YOU HAVE RECYCLED.
SO NOW AS WE MOVE TO OUR IMPORTED WATER SUPPLY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE THERE? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW CHAIR CORDERO, YOU, YOU GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF UPDATE ON THE COLORADO RIVER THAT I THINK IS, IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN AS FAR AS WHAT THAT FUTURE WILL, UM, LOOK LIKE, UH, SUPPLY WISE.
SO WHERE I FOCUS TODAY'S, UH, PRESENTATION IS THE STATE WATER PROJECT SIDE.
SO SIMILAR GRAPH FOR PRECIPITATION, BUT NOW ON THE STATE WATER PROJECT AND THEIR DIFFERENT, UH, INDEXES.
IT'S A EIGHT STATION INDEX UP IN NORTHERN, UH, CALIFORNIA, THE SIERRA NEVADA.
BASICALLY, THEY LOOK AT HOW MUCH RAINFALL IS UP IN THE, THAT WATERSHED FOR THE STATE WATER PROJECT.
AND IMPORTANT THING HERE IS TO, TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, AGAIN, A LOT OF RAIN EARLY IN THE SEASON, UM, THERE WAS A, A, A FLATTENING OUT PLATEAU.
THERE'S BEEN A SLIGHT BUMP, UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, AND IT'S NOT UPDATING THIS CHART, BUT, UH, AT, AT, YOU KNOW, AS OF FEBRUARY 3RD, WE WERE AT ABOUT 117% OF NORMAL, UM, UH, PRECIPITATION OVERALL, SNOW AND, UH, RAIN.
BUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE FOR THIS YEAR IS, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE WELL ABOVE AVERAGE, PRECIPITATION WISE AS A WHOLE, WE ONLY HAVE 43% OF THE SNOW PACK.
IT WAS A VERY, UH, WARM PRECIPITATION AND WARM WINTER.
AND SO THOSE SNOW PACKAGES IS A HIGHLY CRITICAL PART OF OUR WATER STORAGE HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
AND SO, EVEN THOUGH IT RAINED A LOT, WE AREN'T GETTING NECESSARILY ALL THE BENEFITS
[00:10:01]
THAT WE WOULD IN A TYPICAL YEAR OF, OF THAT MUCH, UH, PRECIPITATION.SO, AS FAR AS HOW THIS TRANSLATES FOR METROPOLITAN STATE WATER PROJECT BEING ONE OF THEIR SUPPLIES, UH, AND THE COLORADO RIVER BEING THE OTHER, THESE ARE THE ASSUMPTIONS THEY'RE MAKING ON HOW MUCH WATER SUPPLY THEY'LL GET FROM COLORADO RIVER AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE, THEY'LL BE GETTING FROM STATE WATER PROJECT.
SO AS OF THE TIME OF THIS REASON, UHROTATION WAS MADE, WE WERE AT A 30% ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE WATER PROJECT, AND THAT WAS THE NUMBER THAT MET, HAD BEEN PREDICTING.
WE GET THEM PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO MEET THEIR FULL DEMAND, UH, FOR THIS YEAR.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON THIS GRAPH, UM, THEY'RE ANTICIPATING THEIR FULL DEMAND AND FROM ALL THEIR MEMBER AGENCIES, ABOUT 1.5 MILLION ACRE FEET.
AND WITH THE SUPPLIES THAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW, UH, ASSUMPTIONS FROM THE COLORADO RIVER SUPPLY AND THE STATE WATER PROJECT SUPPLY, THEY'RE AT RIGHT ABOUT 1.47 MILLION ACRE FEET.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY, UH, A NET, UM, EQUAL.
AND SO WITH ALL THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL COMING, UM, IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THE, THE ALLOCATION THEY'LL GET FROM THE STATE WATER PROJECT, UH, SUPPLY WILL BE HIGHER THAN THIS.
AND SO THAT MEANS THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE IN SURPLUS CONDITIONS, MEANING THEY'LL HAVE TO PUT, FIND A PLACE TO PUT SURPLUS WATER, UH, FOR STORAGE, UH, FOR FUTURE USE.
NOW, THAT'S A GREAT THING, A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE.
UM, BUT WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS IS THAT OVER TIME, UH, METROPOLITAN'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB AT INCREASING ITS OVERALL, UH, STORAGE.
AND SO, UH, YOU'LL SEE HERE THE, THE STORAGE LEVELS GO UP AND DOWN IN, YOU KNOW, WET YEARS, DRY YEARS DROUGHTS, THEIR STORAGE LEVELS WILL FLUCTUATE, AND IN DRY YEARS, THEY'LL PULL FROM STORAGE, AND THEN WET YEARS THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PUT TO STORAGE.
BUT WHERE WE ARE NOW, AS OF 2025, IS THEY'RE ALREADY SITTING ON RECORD LEVELS OF STORAGE TO WHERE MOST OF THEIR, UH, RESERVOIRS AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WATER BANKS ARE, ARE ESSENTIALLY, UH, NEARING CAPACITY.
AND SO IF THE ALLOCATION ACTUALLY INCREASES ABOVE 30% FROM THE STATE WATER PROJECT, THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO PLACES TO STORE WATER.
UM, NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE COMMITTEE MAY RECALL, BUT WE ACTUALLY RECENTLY TERMINATED A STORAGE AGREEMENT WITH METROPOLITAN THAT WAS NOT TO OUR FAVOR.
UH, AND, UH, PREVIOUSLY, UH, I'D HIGHLY ANTICIPATE THAT THIS WOULD BE A YEAR WHERE MET WOULD BE CALLING ON LONG BEACH TO PUT WATER INTO STORAGE.
NOW, THANKFULLY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AGREEMENT FORCING US TO DO THAT, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT METROPOLITAN OFFERS WHERE WE COULD VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATE TO HELP THEM STORE WATER IF THE CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE AGREEMENT ARE FAVORABLE FOR US.
SO THAT IS, UH, SOMETHING I DO ANTICIPATE, UH, AT LEAST BEING DISCUSSED.
UH, AND IF, UH, POTENTIALLY STAFF C THE BOARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR TYPE, UH, PARTICIPATION.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY SHORT WATER SUPPLY UPDATE.
UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, WILL OUR BOARD HEAR THIS? NO.
SO YEAH, THIS IS THE NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE.
THIS IS, YEAH, WE, WE DIDN'T USE TO OKAY.
DO THIS, UH, COMMITTEE, BUT, UH, YEAH, JUST, JUST FOR THIS COMMITTEE ALONE,
SO AT SOME POINT, UM, WE, IT WILL BE, IF WE DO A RETREAT OR A WORKSHOP, IT CAN BE FILTERED IN THERE.
AND, AND WE HAVE THE, UH, THE, UM, WHAT IS IT, THE READOUT OF THE, THE COMMITTEE THAT WE CAN SUMMARIZE THE REPORT THERE.
UM, BEFORE I GO TO COMMISSION, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS, SEEING NONE, ANY COMMISSION COMMENT? YEAH, I WOULD JUST SAY A GREAT REPORT.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I'M IN GRADUATE SCHOOL TODAY,
UH, AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A VERY ENCOURAGING, UM, THESE ARE ENCOURAGING NUMBERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HAD A EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RAIN.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT MORE SEEING THESE NUMBERS AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT IMPACTS, UH, THE, THE ENTIRE, UH, RESOURCE SYSTEM.
UM, I DID HAVE, I'LL RESERVE MY COMMENTS ABOUT RATES, UH, UNTIL ANOTHER TIME.
UM, BUT THIS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING IN TERMS OF, UH, RATES AS WELL.
I, I WOULD HOPE, BUT, WELL, I, I'LL RESERVE MY COMMENTS, RESOURCES,
IT'S FAVORABLE ON RELIABILITY, AT LEAST FOR US.
EXTRA WATER IS A, A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE FLIP SIDE, UM, IT DOES BRING SCRUTINY AS FAR AS WHAT IS THE REGION DOING TO CAPTURE ALL THIS RAINFALL.
AND, AND THAT IS, THAT IS A CHALLENGE.
AND, AND WE DO NEED TO WORK, UM, COOPERATIVELY AS A REGION TO, TO CAPTURE ALL THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I JUST WANT YOU, YOU MENTIONED A, A, A WATER STORE STORAGE AGREEMENT THAT THEY CAN GO IN OUR FAVOR.
UM, JUST FOR, CAN YOU JUST GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW ON WHAT THAT WAS, SO THAT SURE.
SO, UM, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT WHERE, UH, METROPOLITAN HELPED PAY FOR ESSENTIALLY, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE TO PUT WATER INTO OUR GROUNDWATER BASIN.
SO IN YEARS LIKE THIS, WHERE IT'S REALLY WET, PUT WET WATER INTO THE GROUND, AND THEN IN DRY YEARS RATHER THAN TAKING PORTER WATER, WE WOULD PULL
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THAT WATER OUT OF THE GROUND, UM, THAT HAD BEEN STORED.BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE KICKER ON THAT WAS WE WOULDN'T BE PAYING GROUNDWATER RATES, WE'D BE PAYING METROPOLITAN WATER RATES FOR THAT WATER WERE PULLING OUTTA THE GROUND, AND IT'D BE WHATEVER FUTURE METROPOLITAN RATE, UH, WAS IN PLACE AT THAT TIME.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE SPREAD OF THE COST TO PUT THE WATER IN THE GROUND VERSUS WHAT WE'RE PAYING METROPOLITAN TO PULL IT OUT, IT, IT DIDN'T, UH, IT'S NOT TO, TO OUR FINANCIAL BENEFIT.
SO BASICALLY WE'D BE PAYING IMPORTED, WE'D BE PAYING IMPORTED WATER FOR GROUNDWATER THAT WE'RE STORING.
THAT WE'RE STORING, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, IS THE DOOR OPEN? DO YOU THINK THEY'D COME BACK MET, WE, WE'D COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE NEED THIS.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER OPTIONS FOR MET METROPOLITAN TO SURE.
SO THEY, THEY HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A CYCLIC PROGRAM, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? UH, AMENDMENT TO THE CYCLICAL PROGRAM.
IT'S CALLED A CYCLIC COST OFFSET PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT COST OFFSET IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEN BASICALLY THEY'RE GIVING A CREDIT TO US, UH, A DISCOUNT ON THE IMPORTED WATER.
SO THE AGREEMENT, WE HAD NO DISCOUNT OR PAYING FULL RATE.
AND SO, DEPENDING ON THE, THE DISCOUNT OR THE CREDIT THEY'RE OFFERING MAY MAKE SENSE FOR US TO VOLUNTARILY ENTER INTO A STORAGE AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
AND SO I ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE RAIN HAPPENING, PROBABLY IN NEXT MONTH OR TWO, THEIR STAFF MAY, YOU KNOW, START, UM, THEY, THEY'VE ALREADY, UH, REACHED OUT TO, UH, EXPLORE INTEREST AND, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE COMMENT BACK ON, ON ITS CONTINGENT UPON THE CREDIT, UM, THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING.
I, WITHOUT SEEING OTHER COMMENTS, I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU, DEAN, YOU AND AND OTHER STAFF WHO GIVE REPORTS.
I, I CONSTANTLY KEEP LEARNING THINGS AND KIND OF LIKE YOU WRITE IN BEING IN, IN GRADUATE SCHOOL.
SO GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S, UH, PREPARATION ON, ON THE REPORTS THAT THEY GIVE.
SO, SEEING NO OTHER FURTHER COMMENT ON YOU'RE, YOU'RE DONE WITH THIS.
UM, WE HAVE A, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE
[3. 26-54355 Recommendation to receive and file Water Replenishment District (WRD) Advisory Committee Update. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATE.AND AGAIN, DEAN, WE HAVE A, A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, DEAN.
UH, THIS ONE I'LL TRY TO KEEP AT A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
HIGH SCHOOL POLITICS LEVEL, THAT'S, NO, NO.
I WAS MORE MEANING LIKE THIS, THIS, THIS ONE STARTS TO GET POLITICAL AND, UH, I, I'M JUST THINKING, ACTUALLY, I SHOULD SAY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT MY DAUGHTER'S IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND, UH, THEY DO A LOT OF, UH, SHE DEALS WITH A LOT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO, WATER PUMPERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, SO, SO WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT FOR BACKGROUND, UH, WAS FORMED IN 1959 BY A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
UH, IT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, THERE WERE ISSUES BEING FACED BY THE GROUNDWATER BASINS AT THE TIME, UH, SEAWATER INTRUSION, UH, A NEED FOR REPLENISHMENT TO ENSURE, UH, THE RELIABILITY THAT WE HAVE TODAY THAT, THAT DIDN'T EXIST BACK THEN.
AND SO, UH, THE PEOPLE VOTED, UH, TO, TO FORM, UH, ESSENTIALLY AN, AN ENTITY TO HELP MANAGE THE REPLENISHMENT OF THE BASIN.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THIS NEW STORY, WATER REPLENISHMENT HELPS EVERYBODY.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS THE, UH, I GUESS, PROMOTION THAT WAS GOING ON BACK THEN TO, TO GET GARNER THE VOTES TO, TO FORM WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT.
BUT IMPORTANTLY WAS THAT, UH, IT WAS FORMED TO, TO MANAGE BOTH CENTRAL AND WEST BASIN.
AND THE, WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS THAT BOTH, UH, PUMPERS IN BOTH BASINS ACTUALLY PAY THE SAME RATE.
AND SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, UM, AS AN ANALOGY, METROPOLITAN, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, PERSPECTIVES ON WHO SHOULD BE PAYING WHAT.
WELL, THE SAME THINGS EXIST AT THIS, THIS GROUNDWATER BASIN LEVEL IS CENTRAL BASIN AND WEST BASIN FACE VERY DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND SO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT, UH, WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICTS SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE DOING AS AN ORGANIZATION AND ENTITY.
AND IN THE END, EVERYBODY'S PAYING A SHARE OF THE, THE RATE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA COMES IN IS THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
AND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT AS A, UH, A PUMPER, UH, AS A COMMUNITY TO HAVE A VOICE INTO, UM, UH, ESSENTIALLY THE, THE WATER PUNISHMENT AND THEN THEIR DECISIONS.
SO, CENTRAL BASIN AND WEST BASIN, HERE'S A MAP OF THE TWO DIFFERENT BASINS.
UH, AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS UP HERE AND CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAINS, UH, IN, IN THE MONTEBELLO FOR BAY LOS ANGELES, FOR BAY IS WHERE, UM, EARLIER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE RAINFALL AND THE STORMWATER CAPTURE.
IT'S WHERE THE, UH, SEDIMENT, UH, AND THE SOILS ARE, ARE CONDUCIVE TO ACTUALLY PERCOLATING WATER INTO THE GROUND.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE WATER GETS CAPTURED UP HERE
[00:20:01]
AND SPREAD INTO THE BASIN, IT MIGRATES ITS WAY DOWN INTO CENTRAL BASIN.AND ACTUALLY FROM CENTRAL BASIN, THE THE WATER ACTUALLY, UH, CROSSES THIS NEW NEWPORT INGLEWOOD FAULT INTO WEST COAST BASIN.
AND SO THE, THE BASINS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SEPARATE BASINS, UM, THEY'RE SEPARATED BY THE FAULT LINE, BUT IT'S NOT A, A, A HARD, UM, THERE'S NO, UH, HARD PHYSICAL BARRIER.
THE WATER DOES ACTUALLY GO FROM, FROM ONE BASIN INTO THE OTHER.
AND SO IN THAT SENSE, UM, BOTH, BOTH BASINS ARE, UM, DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER.
AND TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, HISTORY CONTEXTUALLY, IT WAS, UH, WEST COAST BASIN, UM, DIDN'T, UH, WAS CONCERNED THAT CENTRAL BASIN WOULD CONTINUE TO PUMP MORE AND MORE AND MORE, AND THEN THAT UNDERFLOW FROM CENTRAL BASIN WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, LESS AND LESS.
AND SO THEY, WEST, WEST BASIN WAS CONCERNED THAT CENTRAL BASIN WOULD ESSENTIALLY PUMP ALL THE WATER THAT WAS COMING TO THEM.
AND SO ALL THE ADJUDICATIONS THAT HAPPENED, BASICALLY TO HELP PROTECT EACH OF THE BASINS, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AGAIN TO, TO A DIFFERENT ANALOGY, THE COLORADO RIVER, THERE'S UPPER BASIN STATES AND THE LOWER BASIN STATES VERY SIMILAR.
CENTRAL BASIN IS THE UPPER BASIN, AND WEST BASIN IS THE LOWER BASIN.
AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU WANNA TAKE ANALOGY A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, THERE'S ACTUALLY ANOTHER BASIN RIGHT UP HERE THAT'S INTERCONNECTED.
AND ACTUALLY THERE'S FLOWS, THERE'S AN ADJUDICATION THAT, UM, CALLED THE LONG BEACH JUDGMENT THAT ADJUDICATES HOW MUCH WATER NEEDS TO COME FROM THE SAN GABRIEL BASIN TO GET DOWN INTO THE CENTRAL BASIN.
AND SO IT'S BASIN AFTER BASIN AFTER BASIN, KIND OF A, A CASCADING, UH, FLOW OF THE, THE RAINWATER.
SO THIS IS THE OVERHEAD AERIAL VIEW.
UM, BUT IF WE, UM, WELL, ACTUALLY BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT ONE HERE IN LONG BEACH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE, UH, UNIQUELY PLACED TO ACTUALLY BE OVERLYING BOTH BASINS.
WE'RE ON THE BORDER, THAT NEWPORT INGLEWOOD FAULT GOES RIGHT THROUGH OUR CITY AND, UH, THROUGH SIGNAL HILL, IT'S THE FAULT IS WHAT CREATED SIGNAL HILL.
AND A LITTLE BIT FURTHER UP HERE, IT'S WHAT CREATED THE, THE BIXBY KNOLLS.
IT'S, IT'S DUE TO THAT NEWPORT IN INGLEWOOD FAULT.
AND SO A PORTION OF OUR, OUR CITY IS IN CENTRAL BASIN, A PORTION IS IN WEST BASIN.
SO WE ACTUALLY ARE, UM, WE SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN BOTH BASINS AS WE OVERLY BOTH.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, ALL OF OUR PUMPING CURRENTLY IS IN CENTRAL BASIN.
BUT AS WE DISCUSSED IN THAT, YOU KNOW, LAST, UM, AND DURING THE BOARD MEETING, WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING WEST, UH, OUR, OUR GROUNDWATER INTO THE WESTERN AREA OF THE CITY.
AND SO THAT MEANS THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO NOW EXPAND INTO PUMPING INTO THE WEST COAST BASIN AS WELL, WHERE WE HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT.
SO I'LL MOVE FROM THE AERIAL VIEW INTO THE, UH, ACTUALLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS VIEW IS CALLED.
THE, THE CUTOUT VIEW, UH, WHERE IF YOU LOOK UNDERGROUND, UH, SO EAST TO WEST, AGAIN, UP HERE IS WHERE I WAS MENTIONING THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS AND SAN GABRIEL BEST BASIN.
THAT'S UP UPSTREAM OF BOTH THE CENTRAL WEST BASINS, BUT THAT RAINFALL COMES IN AND THE SPREADING BASINS I SHOWED ALLOW THE WATER TO ACTUALLY PERCOLATE INTO THE AQUIFERS.
AND SO THE, UM, ABOVE THE AQUIFERS, UH, HERE, DOWN WHERE WE ARE IN LONG BEACH IS, UH, ESSENTIALLY SOIL CLAY, CLAY SOIL THAT DOESN'T REALLY ALLOW WATER TO PERMEATE.
AND SO YOU SEE ALL THE, THE RAINFALL THAT'S FALLING HERE, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY MAKE IT DOWN INTO THE GROUND WATER AQUIFER AQUIFERS THAT WE PUMP FROM.
YOU'LL SEE HOW DEEP THESE WELLS GO TO GET AT THE, THE AQUIFERS.
AND SO THE, THE, UH, BASINS ARE UP HERE, UH, OR THE, SORRY, THE SPREADING BASINS ARE UP HERE.
AND, UH, IT FEEDS WHAT BOTH WEST AND CENTRAL BASIN, UM, HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND SO HERE YOU'LL SEE IS THE CENTRAL BASIN CONFINES AND DOWNSTREAM IS THE WEST COAST BASIN.
SO AGAIN, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE TWO BASINS.
UM, AND THEN ONE JUST POINT OF INTEREST I'LL POINT OUT IS THE SEAWATER BARRIER INTRUSION WELLS.
AND SO BASICALLY, UM, WAY BACK WHEN THERE WAS TOO MUCH PUMPING, THE SEA WATER WAS STARTING TO INFILTRATE UPWARDS INTO THE BASIN.
WHAT THEY DID WAS INSTALL INJECTION WELLS TO PUSH, UH, POTABLE WATER AND NOW MORE RECYCLED WATER INTO THE AQUIFERS TO KEEP THE SEA WATER OUT.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, ACTUALLY ON THIS MAP, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SEAWATER BARRIERS, UH, ALONG THE COAST.
AND HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE THE ALAMEDA BARRIER.
SO ALL THESE ARE MEANT TO KEEP SEAWATER OUT OF OUR, OUR GROUNDWATER BASINS.
SO, WRD, UM, TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, CHAIR CORDERO WAS, UH, WHAT DO THEY USE TO REPLENISH THE BASIN? AND SO THEY'VE UNDERTAKEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS TO ENSURE THE RELIABILITY OF THE GROUNDWATER BASIN AND ALL THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, COME AT A COST.
AND THOSE COSTS ARE PAID FOR BY THE PUMPERS.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT BOTH CENTRAL AND WEST BASIN PUMPERS PAY ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S CALLED THE REPLENISHMENT ASSESSMENT TO WRD, SO THAT THEY CAN IMPLEMENT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS TO MAINTAIN, UH, THE RELIABILITY OF OUR GROUNDWATER SUPPLY.
UM, AND SO THEIR INITIATIVE WAS CALLED WIN WATER INDEPENDENCE NOW, AND INDEPENDENCE IS MEANING INDEPENDENCE FROM IMPORTED WATER.
AND SO JUST VERY RECENTLY IN, OH, I FORGET EXACTLY WHICH
[00:25:01]
YEAR, BUT WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, UM, THEY'VE, THEY'VE FINALLY GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE THEY, THEY'RE TAKING ZERO IN IMPORTED WATER TO REPLENISH THE GROUNDWATER BASINS.SO IT WAS A HUGE MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT, UM, FOR US, UH, IN, UM, IN OUR LOCAL GROUNDWATER, UH, BASINS TO, TO, UM, REACH THAT.
AND SO AFTER THEY ACHIEVE THAT INDEPENDENCE FROM REPLENISHMENT, UH, IMPORTED WATER AND REPLENISHMENT, NOW THEY'VE EXPANDED TO WHAT'S CALLED WIND FOR ALL MEANING.
THEY WANT, UM, THEY WANT ALL OF THE LOCAL PURVEYORS TO BE ABLE TO FULLY PUMP THEIR GROUNDWATER RIGHTS.
LIKE I, AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS, UM, UH, PRESENTATION, WE'RE NOT PUMPING OUR FULL RIGHTS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER CITIES AND, UH, PUMPERS THAT ARE ALSO NOT PUMPING THEIR FULL RIGHTS.
AND SO WHAT WATER REPLENISHMENT WANTS TO DO NOW IS TO, UH, UNDERTAKE THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO ALLOW ALL THE CITIES AND, AND, UH, DISTRICTS TO PUMP THEIR WATER RIGHTS.
AND SO, SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, DOWN HERE IN TORRANCE, THERE'S A, A BRACKISH, A PLUME OF WATER.
THEY HAVE A DESAL PROGRAM, AND THAT'S, UH, THEIR CURRENT BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT AND COST, UM, TO CLEAN UP SOME OF THAT HISTORICAL, UM, UH, SEAWATER INTRUSION SO THAT THE, THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOUTH BAY AREA CAN ACTUALLY START TO PUMP MORE OF ITS GROUNDWATER.
UH, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT THE, THE BASIN IS GONNA BE FACING IS PFAS.
SO, PFAS IS AN ISSUE THAT RIGHT NOW IS, IS STARTING TO APPEAR, UH, IN THE MORE NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL BASIN, UH, MORE PREVALENTLY, UH, WHERE IT'S NOT QUITE AS PREVALENT, UH, IN, IN WEST BASIN.
AND SO EACH BASIN HAS ITS UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT IS FACING, THAT REQUIRE DIFFERENT, UH, CAPITAL AND IMPROVEMENTS TO FUND, UM, SO THAT THE BASIN CAN BE FULLY UTILIZED.
AND SO, AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU SIT, WEST BASIN CENTRAL BASIN, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHAT PROJECTS, UM, SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED OR NOT.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND SO THERE'S A BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH OVERSEES, UH, MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE WRD, UH, BOARD REGARDING OPERATING BUDGET, THE RESERVE FUNDS, HOW THEY MANAGE THEIR RESERVES TO, UH, BE ABLE TO, TO FUND THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UH, MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE REPLENISHMENT ASSESSMENT, BASICALLY THE FEE THAT PUMPERS PAY.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH, UH, REVIEWS PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, UH, ISSUES OF WATER QUALITY, UH, SUCH AS PFAS, UM, AND THEN, UH, BASIN MANAGEMENT, HOW TO MANAGE THAT STORAGE AND, UM, UH, THAT OPTIMUM QUANTITY THAT SHOWED IN THE WATER SUPPLY UPDATE.
AND SO THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT, WERE TWO DIFFERENT, I SHOULD SAY, ARE TWO DIFFERENT ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND, UH, BASICALLY OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN, UM, DISCUSSIONS OF THE BENEFITS OF BASICALLY, UH, HAVING A UNIFORM COMMITTEE THAT KNOWS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND, AND BASICALLY THE COSTS ASSOCIATED TO THEN GO INTO THE FINANCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, BUT HISTORICALLY, THOSE HAVE BEEN TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT, UH, MAY HAVE DIFFERENT MEMBERS ON IT AND MAY NOT HAVE THAT OVERLAP AND, AND SYNERGY OF UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS BEFORE, UH, REVIEWING THE BUDGET.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE KEY, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UH, OR KEY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WERE HOPING TO MAKE, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE TO KIND OF UNIFY THAT SO THAT WE'D HAVE THAT CONTINUITY OF UNDERSTANDING AND, UH, KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE MORE INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS TO WRD.
SO, UH, AS FAR AS PUMPER REPRESENTATION GOES, UM, IN 2013, THERE WAS A SENATE BILL SIX 20, UH, THAT CREATED, FORMALLY CREATED THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND WHEN THAT WAS, UM, PUT IN PLACE, IT REQUIRED SEVEN MEMBER COMMITTEE MADE UP OF TWO, SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE, UH, UH, TWO SMALL ME PUMPERS, TWO MEDIUM PUMPERS, AND THREE LARGE PUMPERS.
BUT IT DID NOT, IMPORTANTLY, DID NOT SPECIFY THAT, UM, THERE HAD TO BE REPRESENTATION FROM BOTH BASINS.
IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THROUGH THE VOTING, UM, THERE WAS ALWAYS REPRESENTATION FROM BOTH BASINS.
BUT, UM, IN 2024 WAS THE FIRST ELECTION THAT ACTUALLY REPRESENT, UH, RESULTED IN NO WEST BASIN, UH, MEMBERS BEING ELECTED.
AND SO THEN THAT HIGHLIGHTED AN ISSUE OF, WELL, OKAY, IF, WELL, WEST BASIN HAS THEIR CONCERNS AND, AND HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE A VOICE.
AND SO IN 2025, UH, THEIR WRD BOARD, UH, BASICALLY, UM, WANTED TO HONOR THE PEOPLE THAT GOT, GOT VOTED IN, BUT THEN, UH, EXPANDED THE, UH, COMMITTEES TO, TO 13 MEMBERS TO INCLUDE MEMBERS FROM WEST BASIN SO THERE'D BE MORE, UH, EQUAL, UH, REPRESENTATION.
SO IN SINCE 2025, UH, THE WD BOARD WANTED TO DELIBERATE THE FUTURE OF THESE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT, UH, THERE, THERE'S, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SIGNIFICANT, UM, UH, DIFFERENCES IN, IN OPINIONS.
AND SO OPINIONS, UH, HAD GOTTEN SO DISPARATE TO THE POINT WHERE THE WD BOARD WAS CONSIDERING JUST DOING AWAY WITH ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND INDEPENDENTLY MOVING FORWARD.
AND IN THAT CASE, PUMPERS, LIKE LONG BEACH WOULD ONLY HAVE THE ABILITY
[00:30:01]
TO, TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, AT THEIR BOARD MEETINGS IN, YOU KNOW, THE TWO OR THREE MINUTE, UH, TIMEFRAMES THAT WERE ALLOTTED VERSUS HAVING, UH, DEDICATED, UH, WORKSHOPS AND, AND, UM, UH, INTERACTION WITH THEIR BOARD AND STAFF TO DEEP DIVE INTO, UM, THESE ISSUES.ARE, ARE WE, UH, ARE WE ON ANY OF THESE COMMITTEES? WE ARE, YES, YOU ARE.
SO, SO THERE'S TWO, THERE'S, UM, THERE'S THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE, THE, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THAT WAS PART OF IT IS, UH, IN 2024, WE DID NOT GET ELECTED TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THROUGH THE EXPANSION TO 13 MINUTE MEMBERS, WE WERE PUT BACK ON, ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT YEAH, THERE WAS A TIME IN 2024 WHERE WE WERE NOT REPRESENTED ON THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, SO SINCE 2025, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A REALISTIC OUTCOME THAT, UH, THERE WOULD BE NO FUTURE ADVISORY COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A DETRIMENT TO US HERE IN LONG BEACH AS WELL AS THE, THE BASINS AS A WHOLE.
UM, AND SO, UH, WHAT WE WERE WORKING ON REALLY DILIGENTLY WAS TO, UH, GET A, UM, CONSENSUS AMONG THE, UH, THE ADVISORY COMMUNITY, ESSENTIALLY THE WHOLE PUMPING COMMUNITY, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT THAT REPRESENTATION SHOULD LOOK LIKE, SO THAT, UM, WE COULD CONTINUE, UM, BECAUSE I, I THINK THERE WAS, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO HAVING THESE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE FINALLY ABLE, UH, TO MAKE, UH, UNIFIED CONSENSUS RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO THE WRD BOARD.
AND AS OF FEBRUARY, UM, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE DAYS AGO THE WD BOARD APPROVED A NEW STRUCTURE FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND IT'S CALLED THE NEW WATER PUMPERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OUR W PAC.
UM, AND SO I'LL, I'LL WALK YOU QUICKLY THROUGH WHAT, WHAT THAT NEW STRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE.
UH, SO IT COMBINED THE BUDGET AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, AS I MENTIONED, UM, AND NOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A SERIES OF TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS THAT LEADS UP TO THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS.
AND SO NOW, UH, WE AS BUMPERS, WE AS LONG BEACH WILL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT COSTS WRD IS PROPOSING, UM, AS FAR AS THEIR CIP AND, AND OVERALL BUDGET.
AND SO, UH, PROBABLY THE MOST CONTENTIOUS POINT THAT WAS HARDEST TO GET TO CONSENSUS AMONG, AMONG THE PUMPERS WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW TO REPRESENT WEST BASIN AND CENTRAL BASIN.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WEST BASIN PERSPECTIVE IS JUST HAVING A VOICE CO-EQUAL.
THEY HAD THE CONCERNS HISTORICALLY OF, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT GETTING THE, THE WATER AND THE UNDERFLOW FROM CENTRAL BASIN.
THEY, THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD THEIR VOICE REPRESENTED AND DIDN'T WANT ANY UNDERREPRESENTATION, SO THEY DIDN'T WANT TO NECESSARILY BE OUTVOTED BY A CENTRAL BASIN.
AND SO TO THEM IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTES, UH, AS A CENTRAL BASIN.
FROM THE CENTRAL BASIN PERSPECTIVE, THEY DIDN'T SEE THAT AS NECESSARILY FAIR BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF PUMPING AND IF YOU JUST EVEN LOOKED AT THE SIZE OF THE BASINS, CENTRAL BASINS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER, UH, IN THE WEST BASIN.
AND SO, UH, CENTRAL BASIN REALLY WANTED TO HAVE PROPORTIONAL, UH, WAITS AND WAIT AND VOTE PROPORTIONAL TO HOW MUCH, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE, THE PAYMENTS EACH YEAR.
AND SO THOSE SEEM, THOSE COMPETING, UH, ISSUES WERE REALLY HARD TO RESOLVE.
BUT WHAT WE WERE ARRIVED AT WAS FINALLY A, UM, ESSENTIALLY A, A HYBRID SOLUTION.
UM, AND THE KEY ON THAT IS HAVING THE THREE, WHAT ARE CALLED DUAL BASIN PUMPERS.
AND SO THESE ARE, ARE LARGE PUMPERS THAT HAVE RIGHTS IN BOTH BASINS LIKE LONG BEACH.
AND SO THERE ARE A COUPLE, THERE ARE ACTUALLY ONLY FOUR, UH, IT'S LONG BEACH LOS ANGELES, UH, CAL WATER AND GOLDEN STATE WATER.
UH, BUT THE, THE WAY THAT THIS WAS AGREED UPON BY CENTRAL BASIN, UH, WAS THE FACT THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THESE DUAL BASIN PUMPERS, OUR RIGHTS AND, UH, ALL THE RIGHTS OF THESE DUAL BASIN PUMPERS IS ACTUALLY HEAVILY SKEWED TOWARDS CENTRAL BASIN.
AND SO COLLECTIVELY, IF YOU INCLUDE THE, THE THREE LARGE DUAL BASIN PUMPERS, IT HELPS TO REBALANCE AND DISTRIBUTE THE VOTES HYPOTHETICALLY TO, TO MORE REPRESENT THE, THE WEIGHTED, UM, WEIGHTED REPRESENTATION OF THE TWO BASINS.
AND SO IN THAT SENSE, UH, THIS THREE, THREE THREES MODEL SATISFIES, UM, WEST BASIN BECAUSE THEY GET THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTES AS PURELY CENTRAL BASIN VOTERS.
AND CENTRAL BASIN WAS HAPPY BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE ESSENTIALLY THESE DUAL BASIN PUMPERS THAT SHOULD HYPOTHETICALLY VOTE WITH THEIR INTERESTS.
I THINK WEIGHING BOTH THEIR CENTRAL BASIN, CENTRAL BASIN, WEST BASIN PROPORTIONAL, UM, INTERESTS IN MIND.
UH, AND SO THAT, THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WENT FORTH.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION ON FINANCIAL RESERVE POLICY.
UM, PREVIOUSLY, UH, WRD DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A, A TRANSPARENT AND DOCUMENTED RESERVE POLICY.
AND SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE PUMPERS WAS AS, UH, WD WAS COLLECTING, UH, REVENUES IN EXCESS OF THEIR ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET, IT ESSENTIALLY FELT LIKE THAT, THAT THOSE EXTRA FUNDS WERE GOING TO A BLACK HOLE RESERVE.
WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY WERE GONNA CON, UH, CONTINUE TO COLLECT THAT RESERVE, CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND SO AS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WE HIGHLIGHTED
[00:35:01]
A RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE A PRIORITIZATION.THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDS, AND SO WHAT SEQUENCING, WHAT ORDER THEY SHOULD FUND, THE DIFFERENT RESERVES AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDED MINIMUMS AND MAXIMUMS THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE FOR THESE RESERVES SO THAT WE AS A PUMPING COMMUNITY KNOW, OKAY, ONCE YOU'VE ACTUALLY REACHED THIS LEVEL, YOU DON'T NEED TO CONTINUE TO COLLECT FOR, YOU KNOW, X, Y, AND Z RESERVE.
SO HAVING THAT CONFIDENCE THAT IT'S JUST NOT A CONTINUOUSLY, UH, UH, OVER COLLECTION, UH, WAS, WAS WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
UM, THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE, BUT, UM, THIS IS THE NEW STRUCTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE STRUCTURE, AND THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE PUT TO THE TEST.
UM, THE NEW, THE PROCESS, UH, BUDGET PROCESS IS JUST NOW STARTING.
AND SO, UH, FOR THIS BUDGET PROCESS, IT WILL STILL BE THE 13 MEMBER, UH, BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BUT, UM, THIS IS, YEAH, A HIGHLY IMPORTANT PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY SETTING THE, THE RATES THAT WE PAY FOR OUR GROUNDWATER, AND AS WE MOVE TO A FUTURE WHERE GROUNDWATER IS GOING TO BE OUR PREDOMINANT SUPPLY, UM, THE GROUNDWATER RATE AND HOW WD FUNDS, UH, DIFFERENT PROJECTS OR MOVES FORWARD WITH ITS DIFFERENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IS, IS VERY, UH, CONSEQUENTIAL TO THE LONG BEACH.
WE'RE A SMALL FISH IN THE METROPOLITAN POND, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY THE LARGEST PUMP IN, UH, COLLECTIVELY WESTERN CENTRAL BASIN.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A, A VERY VESTED INTEREST IN, IN MAKING SURE THAT THE DECISIONS AT THE WRD LEVEL ARE MADE, UH, APPROPRIATELY.
AND, UM, I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THAT, IN THAT ARENA THAT, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKED TO AS THE, THE LARGE, UM, ENTITY.
I THINK IT, IT ALSO POSITIONS US IN A, IN A GOOD WAY AS, AS LEADERS IN THIS AREA, UM, ARE, ARE WE, IS THERE AN ADVANTAGE IN, UM, WHEN THEY LOOK AT US THAT WE ARE IN BOTH BASINS, THAT THEY SEE THAT AS MAYBE WE'RE, WE CAN SEE BOTH SIDES, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN THEY WD OR THE COMMUNITY W WELL, THE WHOLE, YEAH.
WRD AND THE, AND THE ADVISOR COMMITTEE.
AND, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO, TO ME GETTING MORE INVOLVED AS IT WAS
SO JUST AT THE STAFF LEVEL, I THINK THERE WAS, UH, TRUST AND AND RELATIONSHIP THAT ANTO HAD DEVELOPED OVER TIME WITH THE WD STAFF.
UM, AND, AND SO AT THE STAFF LEVEL, I THINK THERE'S THAT, THAT BENEFIT OF THEM SEEING US AS THE, THE LARGE BUMPER AND, UM, COMING TO US TO, TO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST, UM, HERE ARE OUR OPINIONS, UM, FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY, THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH AS STAFF AND AS THE PUMPING COMMUNITY.
I THINK SIMILARLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I THINK IT'S DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD BEING THE, THE LARGE PUMPER, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING SMALL PUMPER REPRESENTATION IS THEY DIDN'T WANNA NECESSARILY BE OVERSHADOWED BY JUST ALL THE LARGE BUMPERS.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S, IT'S INEVITABLE FACT THAT, UM, I THINK THE FACT THAT WE ARE A LARGE BUMPER, WE ARE LOOKED TO AS FAR AS WHAT OUR PERSPECTIVE AND OPINION IS.
AND THEN, YEAH, THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN BOTH BASINS, I THINK, UM, HELPS TO PROVIDE THAT BALANCED, UH, PERSPECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH HYPOTHETICALLY WE'VE ONLY HISTORICALLY PUMPED FROM CENTRAL BASIN.
I THINK WE ARE THE LARGEST CITY IN BOTH THE CENTRAL AND WEST BASIN, BUT THERE'S NO ELECTED REPRESENTATION ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE BOARDS, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THE WELL DIRECTOR ALLEN IS ON THE WRD BOARD, WRD, BUT NOT THE CENTRAL OH, CENTRAL BASIN BOARD.
UH, YEAH, SO, SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLYING OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CENTRAL BASIN, UM, THERE'S A CENTRAL BASIN WATER ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS, UM, THE PUMPER PUMPING COMMUNITY.
SO YEAH, I, I SIT ON THAT BOARD FOR US.
AND THEN THERE'S THE WEST BASIN WATER ASSOCIATION BOARD, WHICH, UM, WE'RE NOT ON, BUT THAT'S REPRESENTED BY OTHER PUMPERS.
IN TERMS OF REPRESENTATION, SO CENTRAL BASIN HERE WAS THE WATER ASSOCIATIONS, BUT IF YOU THINK OF CENTRAL BASIN, MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT AND BASIN MUNICIPAL WATER, THEY WERE ORGANIZED AS ENTITIES LATER ON IN THE HISTORY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
LONG BEACH IS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT.
IT HAS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATION OF METROPOLITAN.
IT GIVES IT THE POWER AND THE STRENGTH THAT IS COMMENSURATE WITH BEING THE LARGEST.
UM, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THOUGH, IT, IT DOES REPRESENT FOR US, AS DEAN POINTED OUT, THAT CLARIFIES.
THAT WAS, UH, VERY INFORMATIVE.
I ARE YOU, IS THAT IT FOR YOU ON YOUR END? YES, THAT'S, THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR THE QUESTIONS TOO.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Resources Committee on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
SEEING NONE, DO WE, WE HAVE ALREADY HAD OUR COMMISSIONER COMMENTS.CAN WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE
[00:40:01]
ON THAT? UH, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A, WE HAD A MOTION IN A SECOND.SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.