CVWD supports Proposition 4 for Safe Drinking Water, Salton Sea Projects and Drought Preparedness

Coachella Valley Water District's (CVWD) Board of Directors adopted a resolution at today's board meeting supporting Proposition 4, an initiative that authorizes bonds for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks.

Following engagement from a range of environmental and other interest groups as well as the water community, the California Legislature passed SB 867, a $10 billion bond package focused on water resilience, wildfire prevention, sea level rise, nature-based solutions, clean air, outdoor recreation, agriculture and extreme heat mitigation. Water-related issues are allocated $3.8 billion, the largest individual category.

The climate bond measure will appear on the November 2024 ballot as Proposition 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024.

CVWD's board says the ever-changing water and climate issues require additional investments to support reliable infrastructure, clean water, and sustainable groundwater supplies. Projects funded through these bonds could benefit the entire region, including the Salton Sea and the Eastern Coachella Valley. The board would like funding prioritized to assist water providers in complying with the state's increasingly stringent regulations, such as its new chromium-6 standard.

Proposition 4 stipulates that at least 40% of total funds must be allocated to projects delivering meaningful and direct benefits to vulnerable populations or disadvantaged communities, with at least 10% specifically directed to severely underprivileged communities.

The bond also allocates funding to the following projects:

• $610 million to address water quality to help provide clean, safe and reliable drinking water, including projects to address hexavalent chromium in drinking water.
• $386.25 million toward projects related to groundwater storage, groundwater recharge, and water reuse and recycling
• $170 million for the Salton Sea Management Program 10-year Plan, including any future revisions, to provide air quality, public health, and habitat benefits.
• $10 million will be available for either the establishment of a Salton Sea Conservancy or the Salton Sea Authority
• Funding for agricultural conservation and climate resiliency of farmlands.

Opponents of Proposition 4 argue that bonds take decades to pay off by future taxpayers, and some question the state's budget deficit and whether it would worsen the situation.

CVWD urges voters to research all the arguments in favor and against Proposition 4 before voting on this critical issue.

Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment and reclamation services, regional stormwater protection, groundwater management, and water conservation. It serves approximately 113,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, primarily in Riverside County and portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.For more information, please visit www.cvwd.org.

Media Contact: Lorraine Garcia, [email protected], (760) 398-2661, ext. 2549, or (760) 695-4007.