Contra Costa Water District signs agreement with Department of Water Resources on water from Delta Tunnels

The Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) announced, Tuesday that they have signed a settlement agreement with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that will protect its customers, facilities, and operations if the Bay Delta Conservation Plan / California WaterFix (CWF), aka the “twin tunnels,” is built. The agreement is an insurance policy to protect the unique water quality and supply issues raised by CCWD.

Since studies began in 2006 to evaluate alternative conveyance strategies for Delta water serving those dependent on the export pumps in the south Delta, CCWD has publicly raised concerns about several issues including potential impacts to the operation of its facilities in the Delta that provide high quality water service to its customers. The state approached CCWD to discuss the water quality and supply concerns unique to CCWD and an agreement was reached that will provide protections for CCWD’s customers if the project is built.

“We take our role to protect our customers seriously and cannot gamble with the future of our water supply or quality,” said General Manager Jerry Brown. “Should this project move forward without these assurances in place, CCWD’s facilities and operations would be negatively impacted. We are confident this is an iron-clad insurance policy for our customers, we wouldn’t have reached an agreement otherwise.”

Key to this settlement is the fact that it will not result in rate increases for CCWD customers nor redirect any potential impacts to other areas. It is a legally binding agreement to protect CCWD’s ability to use the facilities its customers have invested over $1 billion in the past 20 years.

“We are confident knowing we have taken actions to protect our customer’s future if the tunnels are ever constructed,” commented Brown. “The state is committing to a significant investment to ensure CCWD customers will be made whole, and this agreement protects our ability to deliver high quality water to those we serve.”

“We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with CCWD that is good for their customers and good for the 25 million Californians who depend upon the State Water Project,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We appreciate CCWD’s reasonable, efficient, and effective approach to resolving concerns about California WaterFix.”

CCWD is not a proponent of the CWF. This settlement does not change that position, but instead is a way to safeguard CCWD and those it serves if a larger statewide plan is ever implemented. CCWD will remain an active participant in finding statewide solutions and continue to protect the drinking water interests of our customers.

The Board of Directors will review the details of the agreement at the April 6 Board Meeting held at 1331 Concord Ave. in Concord at 6:30 p.m.

For further details related to this settlement, please visit http://www.ccwater.com/317/Bay-Delta-Conservation-Plan-Comments.


3 Comments to “Contra Costa Water District signs agreement with Department of Water Resources on water from Delta Tunnels”

  1. Arne says:

    CCWD has sold out Antioch. The CCWD board member(s) representing Antioch should be tossed out!!!

  2. Michael says:

    Agreed, this is a major sellout to everyone dependent on the Delta. Now, with a major impediment to the CWF gone, they can proceed to have salt intrusion all the way to Clifton Court Forebay.

  3. Waterwonk says:

    Wow, more proof people should get informed before “ready, shoot, aim”.

    Actually CCWD asked Antioch if what Antioch wanted in the Agreement: the response was that Antioch will renegotiate its own agreement (it already has a settlement agreement with DWR, as does ECCID). So CCWD put in the CCWD agreement a requirement that DWR immediately negotiate new settlements with them! Not to mention the CCWD agreement ensures high quality water for Antioch as a customer of CCWD.

    As for “they can proceed to have salt intrusion all the way to Clifton Court Forebay”: what nonsense. In addition to the CCWD agreement requiring DWR to pump at least 3000 cfs from Banks and Jones before using the tunnels so they can’t get salt intrusion unless exporters like salt water to drink and put on their crops,here are SOME of the other protections that remain in place to protect water quality in the Delta:
    Delta accord flows all year round (which according to SWRCB Board members, are going to increase!
    Delta accord water quality standards at Antioch and Rock Slough
    Delta Ag standards which are in fact more stringent than the Antioch and Rock Slough Standard
    ECCID’s Settlement Agreement with DWR (which included the Peripheral Canal) which allows ECCID to order the export pumps to turn off if the ECCID water quality standards are not met.
    And the CCWD agreement, which requires DWR to operate as provided in their EIR and water right application (which includes the above standards).

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