For 75 years, the San Diego County Water Authority has played a pivotal role in our region’s development as an international hub for innovation, recreation, agriculture, trade and so much more. With few natural water resources, strategic supply planning and development is critical to our continued prosperity – which is why it is so important to recognize our collective successes during this 75th anniversary year
The San Diego region surged ahead in Fiscal Year 2018 with strong economic numbers to accompany our unrivaled quality of life. Jobs expanded. Tourism thrived. The housing market flourished. Construction activity advanced. And venture capital investments continued to grow. In other words, San Diego did what San Diego does best. Behind the scenes, the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies did what we do best, providing the safe and reliable water supplies necessary to sustain 3.3 million people and a $220 billion economy each and every day regardless of weather conditions or other challenges.
One big takeaway emerged in Fiscal Year 2017: Decades of diligent planning by the San Diego County Water Authority allowed the San Diego region to exit an epic drought stronger than when it began five years earlier. That’s a remarkable accomplishment, and it highlights the Water Authority’s core values. At the Water Authority, we are pioneering, visionary, agile and driven.
When historians look back on California in 2016, they will undoubtedly focus on a crisis created by the most significant, far-reaching drought in modern times. When they look at San Diego County, they will see a different story – how the region’s visionary water agencies prepared ahead for drought conditions and – amazingly – stored 100,000 acre-feet of water in a newly expanded reservoir.
From start to finish, drought dominated fiscal year 2015. Record-breaking hot and dry conditions coupled with unprecedented emergency state regulations changed the landscape of the water world in profound ways. While attending to the drought, we didn’t let up on our long-term priorities: the development of the Carlsbad Desalination Project, our efforts to secure legal rates at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, our leadership role in advancing a strong water conservation ethic statewide through legislation, and all of the critical maintenance, repair and replacement work that our crews undertake to ensure reliable and uninterrupted water service 24 hours […]
Fiscal Year 2020 will go down as one for the ages. The emergence of a pandemic and the vengeance of the ensuing recession shaped our lives and our agency in profound ways. Through all the setbacks and challenges, we maintained our mission mindset by enhancing collaboration with our 24 member agencies and expanding our leadership in new ways.
