Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), and Steve Elie, President of IEUA’s Board of Directors, issue the following statement on Governor Newsom’s and the California Natural Resources Agency’s report, “California’s Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future”:
General Manager Deshmukh:
“We at IEUA appreciate the Governor’s renewed focus on addressing the significant impacts of this historic and prolonged drought crisis. The Governor’s plan included the prioritization of new, recycled water supplies, increased storage capacity, and a focus on the development and implementation of Proposition 1 (Prop 1) funded projects. At IEUA, we are proud to be bringing forward one of the seven State Prop 1 programs and $215 million of conditional funding with the Chino Basin Program (CBP). The CBP will allow our partners to increase recycled water use and storage capacity to increase our water supply reliability and local control over those water supplies. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the State, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and our local partners to build this critical infrastructure.”
President Elie:
“The water supply plan issued by the Governor’s office has demonstrated how critical investments in water supply infrastructure and recycled water are in ensuring the health and safety of our communities. I am proud of the efforts of our member agencies and IEUA staff working together as we continue to meet conservation expectations; but conservation, while an important factor, is not the sole answer to solving our water crisis. The CBP, highlighted in the Governor’s plan as one of seven Prop 1 projects, will bring much needed water supply reliability to our region. We at IEUA will continue to work with our member agencies and partners to develop innovative, regional solutions like the CBP to ensure we are doing our part to effectively maintain and manage local water supplies.”
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency covers 242-square miles, distributes imported water, provides industrial/municipal wastewater collection and treatment services, and other related utility services to people within western San Bernardino County through its customer agencies which include Chino, Chino Hills, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Fontana, Fontana Water Company, Montclair, Monte Vista Water District, Ontario, and Upland. www.ieua.org