Voice: A long drought, and Kuhn means more of the same

 

Due to this record drought and a total lack of water conservation, the Metropolitan Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority are desperate for water again.

They cannot supply their planned new construction for the next five to seven years, when desalination plants come online. In the interim, they will be shut down in the courts under the California Environmental Quality Act (P.O.W.E.R. v. IID) unless they start supporting residential water reuse and serious conservation. Or they can declare an emergency and take more of your water.

They certainly won't choose to shut down the coast's growth-dependent economy, and they don't want competition from the private reuse industry, so they will declare an emergency as soon as the feds shut down the Colorado River due to a real emergency called drought.

You must understand that now, before they declare an emergency, is the time to stop them from taking your water.

You will soon have an opportunity to choose between Bruce Kuhn, who got you into this mess, or John Pierre Menvielle, who has a plan to get you out of it.

As long as I've known John Pierre, he's said MWD and SDCWA need to start reusing the water they have and to implement conservation and they must guarantee in writing they will do it before they get IID water. Without that guarantee, they will just keep coming back. As long as I've known Bruce, he's said he can't get guarantees.

For those of you who think the guarantee issue is dead because the transfer deal is done, think again. CEQA requires that all damages be mitigated and all alternatives be considered before the water can leave. That wasn't done, so the water must stay until it is done, when another deal can be made. Your election takes place before then.

The MWD and SDCWA are only in the business of selling water and growing their highly overpaid bureaucracies while doing it, no matter what their spin doctors claim. Now, facing a drought and cut-off of their cash flow, they will cut off yours. They could care less about you and your families, and anyone who believes them is hopelessly naive. Now that the Local Entity has had a taste of their venom, you can ask the members about the SDCWA's self-alleged "good faith."

It's time you elected somebody with the courage and wisdom to stand up to Goliath.

STEPHEN WM. BILSON
Chairman and CEO
ReWater Systems, Inc.
Chula Vista