AB 2215 would extend the timeline for the full development of the SWP’s existing water rights permits to December 31, 2085, aligning those permits with the term of the validated contracts between the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and SWP public water agencies. This extension is necessary due to longstanding delays outside of DWR’s control and will allow the state to better plan, modernize infrastructure, and respond to climate extremes such as droughts and floods.

Importantly, AB 2215 does not approve any new projects, facilities, or operational changes, nor does it bypass CEQA, NEPA, ESA, CESA, or any other environmental or public participation requirements. The bill also explicitly does not approve the Delta Conveyance Project or any other future modification of the SWP.

A broad and growing coalition of water agencies, business organizations, labor, agriculture, and community stakeholders has already gone on record in support of AB 2215. With the bill tentatively scheduled for an April 14 hearing in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, it is critical to continue building momentum and expanding the coalition in the weeks ahead.

AB 2215 is about protecting prior investments, ensuring regulatory certainty, and safeguarding water reliability and affordability for 27 million Californians who depend on the State Water Project.

Read the letter HERE.

The post Expanding the Coalition in Support of AB 2215 appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Renewed: The Journey to Safe Drinking Water is a short and informative animated video that tells the story of how communities are safeguarding a reliable, affordable water future by using advanced purification that meets or exceeds drinking water standards. The multi-barrier approach shown and paired with continuous monitoring reflects best practices used around the world and can be tailored to local regulations and infrastructure.

• Visit our webpage “How Wastewater Becomes Drinking Water: Direct Potable Reuse Explained“
• Watch the video on YouTube
• Ver las versiones en español

In this video, we find out how communities like Southern California are investing in advanced purification to create a reliable source of drinking water that meets or exceeds all standards. Viewers learn more about the multi-barrier process and the continuous monitoring that ensures high quality. As state and local leaders look for ways to help us cope with extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, depleted groundwater basins and more, using more recycled water just makes sense. The same drivers and solutions apply well beyond Southern California, making the video a useful primer for any community exploring potable reuse as part of a resilient water supply.

We invite water agencies, educators, community groups, and media everywhere to watch, share, and embed the video as a plain‑language explainer of how advanced purification turns recycled water into safe, great‑tasting drinking water. If you’re outside Southern California, consider pairing the video with your local project details and regulatory context to help audiences connect the dots.

The video was made possible through generous funding provided by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), HDR, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), Parsons, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD), WateReuse Association, Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD), Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD), Black & Veatch, California WateReuse, and Carollo. The water experts teamed up with the video and storytelling experts at Epipheo to produce the video.

The post Southern California Water Coalition Launches Advanced Purification Video appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

View the event flyer at this link: https://socalwater.org/wp-content/uploads/SCWC-Q2-Luncheon_Flyer_V3.pdf

Special thanks to our amazing luncheon sponsors: Eastern Municipal Water District, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Kiewit, Municipal Water District of Orange County, and Western Municipal Water District. 

Our events and programming would not be possible without our founding sponsors: County of San Bernardino, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Irvine Ranch Water District, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation, Water Replenishment District of Southern California, and West Basin Municipal Water District.

Buy tickets and sponsorships now at this link: https://secure.anedot.com/southern-california-water-coalition/scwcmay15quarterlymeeting

The post SCWC Returns to Temecula for May 15 Quarterly Luncheon appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

“Renovado: El camino hacia el agua potable segura” (Titulo en ingles: “Renewed: The Journey to Safe Drinking Water”) es un video animado, breve e informativo, que cuenta cómo las comunidades están protegiendo un futuro de agua confiable y asequible mediante el uso de purificación avanzada que cumple o supera los estándares de agua potable. El enfoque múltiples barreras que se presenta, junto con el monitoreo continuo, refleja las mejores prácticas utilizadas en todo el mundo y puede adaptarse a las regulaciones y a la infraestructura local.

• Visita nuestra página web “Como las aquas residuals se converter en ague potable“
• Mira el vídeo en YouTube
• View the English version

Invitamos a agencias de agua, educadores, grupos comunitarios y medios de comunicación de todo el mundo a ver, compartir e integrar el video como una explicación clara y sencilla de cómo la purificación avanzada convierte el agua reciclada en agua potable segura y de buen sabor. Si se encuentra fuera del sur de California, considere acompañar el video con información sobre su proyecto local y el contexto regulatorio para ayudar al público a  conectar las ideas principales.

El video fue posible gracias al generoso financiamiento del Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Eastern Municipal Water District, HDR, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Parsons, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, WateReuse Association, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Moulton Niguel Water District, Black & Veatch, California WateReuse, and Carollo Engineers. Los expertos en agua colaboraron con los expertos en video y narrativa de Epipheo para producir el video.

The post Southern California Water Coalition lanza un video de purificación avanzada appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Key topics include:

• Planning for the next century of water reliability
• The true cost of aging infrastructure
• Preparing for climate whiplash on the Colorado River
• Why major projects aren’t the biggest drivers of water bills
• Balancing affordability with necessary investments

Can Metropolitan invest enough to maintain system reliability while keeping water affordable and trusted? Tune in to hear water leaders address this critical question.

The Southern California Water Coalition educates to advocate. Be part of the conversation. Be part of the solution.

If you like this episode, you may also enjoy What Matters Water TV + Podcast Episode 24, titled Why Does It Take So Long to Build a Water Project, or Episode #8, titled What’s Next for Metropolitan Water District. You can also view photos from the January 23, 2026 luncheon on Flickr HERE, or read our blog post HERE.

The post #27 – Is Your Tap Water Too Cheap? appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

For a century, Southern California has relied on a vital system of imported water brought from hundreds of miles away. But as climate change puts new pressure on those traditional sources, Los Angeles is making a multi-billion-dollar bet on a new, drought-proof local supply: advanced water recycling.

In this episode, we go inside the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant to understand this monumental shift. Can we really turn wastewater into a pure, safe, and reliable source of drinking water? We explore the technology, the cost, and the challenge of building public trust with the people who are essential to making it work:

• Eileen Alduenda (Council for Watershed Health): The environmental advocate focused on community impact and watershed health.
• Joe Broughton (Jacobs Engineering): The engineer who managed the complex construction of the expansion.
• Anselmo Collins (LADWP): The senior manager tasked with securing water for four million people.

Join us as we explore what it takes to turn a city’s wastewater into its most valuable resource, and ask: Is this the future of water in Southern California?

If you like this episode, you may also enjoy What Matters Water TV + Podcast Episode 18, titled Wastewater to Wonder: California’s Charge to Advanced Purified Water. 

The post #26 – L.A. Is Banking on Recycled Water appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

“After three days of thoughtful analysis, presentation and robust public input, we were proud to testify on behalf of the Southern California Water Coalition in January 2026 in support of advancing the update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan through voluntary agreements and the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes framework. Californians deserve durable, science-driven solutions that improve conditions for native fish while keeping water reliable and affordable for people, businesses and farms.

We’re encouraged by the early progress already visible across the watershed—dozens of on-the-ground habitat projects paired with strategically timed flows, monitoring and adaptive management. Results on Putah Creek and the Mokelumne River show that when agencies, communities and conservation partners work together, we can balance ecosystem needs with water supply reliability.

For Southern California, a dependable Delta is the backbone of an integrated water portfolio. Delta reliability, combined with smart local investments—water recycling, conservation, stormwater capture and storage—and affordability-focused planning, is how we build a resilient, equitable water future for the entire state.“We appreciate the Water Board’s careful process and Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration for its leadership in convening collaborative solutions. SCWC’s role is to help educate public policy leaders and the communities we serve so they can make informed choices. We invite Californians to review the record, stay engaged, and be part of the process as we turn consensus into action.”

The Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) – established in 1984 – is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public education partnership dedicated to informing Southern Californians about our water needs and our state’s water resources.

The post SCWC Backs Bay-Delta Plan at 2026 State Water Board Hearings appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

The Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) kicked off 2026 with a landmark event on Friday, January 23rd, bringing together key leaders for a critical conversation on the future of our region’s water. The event, held at the iconic Santa Anita Park, drew an impressive crowd of 320 people, all eager to hear from the newly appointed leadership at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).

The main event featured the first-ever joint appearance of Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Board Chair Adan Ortega, Jr., and the district’s new General Manager, Shivaji Deshmukh. Moderated by SCWC’s own Executive Director and CEO, Charley Wilson, the panel provided invaluable insight into the new leadership’s shared vision for a resilient and reliable water future. This important conversation will be published online as a future episode of What Matters Water TV and Podcast, so stay tuned!

But the day was more than just a panel discussion. It was a full-day affair that included:

• An SCWC Board meeting to kick off the day’s events.
• An exclusive VIP tour of the historic Santa Anita Park, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary racetrack.
• A touch of fun and excitement with the first race of the day being named the “SoCal Water Race for Resilience,” where attendees had the chance to cheer on the horses and take some memorable photos.

This important luncheon was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Parsons, and to Michael Drennan from Parsons for delivering the opening introduction. We also extend our sincere appreciation to our additional sponsors: Burbank Water and Power, Crescenta Valley Water District, Glendale Water and Power, Kiewit, Pasadena Water and Power, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, Three Valleys Municipal Water District, and the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority.

The energy and engagement throughout the day were palpable, reflecting the collective commitment to collaboration and innovation in the water sector. We extend our sincere thanks to our esteemed panelists, all our members, and the 320 attendees who joined us for this important and memorable event. We look forward to continuing the conversation and working together to build a sustainable water future for all.

View a larger gallery of event photos on Flickr HERE. 

 

The post SCWC Hosts Landmark Conversation with New MWD Leadership at Santa Anita Park appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Highlights at a glance:

• Coalition and policy impact: Built bipartisan champions for Delta Conveyance permit streamlining; helped restore funding for Healthy Rivers & Landscapes; supported protections against invasive golden mussels; kept Proposition 4 water-resilience allocations moving. Testified before the State Water Board and coordinated input with State Water Resources Control Board and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to balance public health protection with practicality and affordability for small and disadvantaged communities.
• Delta outreach: Organized 50+ Capitol meetings, a June 11 advocacy day, a 200+ organization coalition letter, and a 32‑member bipartisan legislator sign‑on—laying the foundation for action in 2026.
• Communications: Expanded California Water Magazine from IE/OC (864,000 circulation) to Ventura/Los Angeles/San Gabriel Valley (3.4 million reach). What Matters Water TV & Podcast surpassed 135,000 cumulative viewers/listeners. Published timely commentary and rapid‑response statements that kept facts front and center.
• Community and organization: Convened regional forums and our Annual Dinner in Newport Beach; closed the year ahead of plan with strong reserves and a growing membership.

Consensus into Action is how we lead—facts, partnerships, and solutions aligned to deliver results. Read the full report, share it, and join us in securing a reliable, affordable, and sustainable water future for Southern California.

The post Consensus into Action: Introducing SCWC’s 2025 Annual Report appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

The Southern California Water Coalition is excited to announce its first quarterly meeting of 2026, scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2026, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.

Speakers are Adán Ortega, Jr., Metropolitan Water District Board Chair, and Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager of Metropolitan Water District. They will talk about what is next for Metropolitan Water District.

This meeting is an essential platform for policymakers, environmental experts, water industry professionals, and community leaders. Anyone passionate about contributing to the future of water in California will find this event both enlightening and vital for networking and idea-sharing.

Ticket Information

Presenting Sponsor

Parsons

Event Sponsors

• Burbank Water and Power
• Crescenta Valley Water District
• Glendale Water and Power
• Pasadena Water and Power
• Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District
• Three Valleys Municipal Water District
• San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority

Founding Sponsors

The post Join Us for Our First Meeting of 2026 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.