SoCal water agencies dispute whether region has sufficient supply

LOS ANGELES (AP) Southern California's largest wholesale water supplier says it can meet the region's demand over the next two decades, even without a deal guaranteeing surplus Colorado River water, but its largest customer isn't so sure.

At a presentation to board members Tuesday, the chief financial officer of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said MWD would get most of the water for its 18 million customers from the State Water Project and existing reserves. It would also increase local water conservation and recycling projects.

``It's not a slam dunk,'' said CEO Brian Thomas. ``But with sufficient attention and support, these projects happen.''

The MWD's largest customer, the San Diego County Water Authority, said officials still need to put a deal in place for excess Colorado River water to ensure there is an adequate supply.

``The very backbone of any region's economic competition is the reliability of its water supply,'' said Dennis Cushman, assistant general manager for the San Diego County Water Authority. ``We need a plan that is more reliable.''

The disagreement arose because for years California has relied on more than its share of the Colorado River, but under a seven-state agreement with its water-hungry neighbors it must cut its take.

The federal government agreed to delay a cutoff only if farmers in the southeast corner of the state agreed to sell some of their water to urban San Diego, enabling the MWD to free up more of its existing supplies. But that agreement fell apart in December when Imperial Valley farmers pressured their water board not to give up their water.

San Diego still hopes to revive the deal to diversify its water supply and gain more independence from the powerful MWD.

The two sides disagree on several key points:

San Diego notes that according to the MWD's own report its share of the cost of water would increase from about 32 percent to 84 percent without the agreement. Metropolitan says either way it will spend nearly the same amount on developing additional water projects.

Metropolitan says it will be able to produce enough water annually for about 800,000 people through conservation projects, with a long-term goal of providing twice that amount. San Diego says that number is inflated. After 10 years of water conservation, the region currently provides only enough water for about 526,000 people through conservation.

Metroplitan maintains that although the State Water Project has less storage capacity for drought years than the Colorado River, it has a stable output. San Diego says the project's ability to provide enough water for the region is unpredictable.

The board will take up the issue again at its meeting in May and must make a final decision by the fall.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)