“Paper Water” — Does Orange County Have a Reliable Future? Summary “Predictions are for a 67% The unique complexities

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F3

Conclusions 8

• CL1
  Orange County is strengthen the County’s condition.
• CL2
  Orange County’s water sup- sally praise the innovative and raise important concerns over the ply infrastructure and supply effective methods by which precarious condition of Orange constraints have received Orange County has protected County’s water resources. More minimal attention in the over- and managed its innate water public awareness and process im- all discussion of developing resources. In particular, its provement regarding water issues Orange County. groundwater aquifer is an in- must be made as the development
• CL3
  Interaction of land planners credibly rich natural resource of Orange County continues. The and water planners in the that is the envy of many areas numerous water agencies in Orange development process must be in the country challenged by County need to strengthen their improved. depleted and damaged water unified approach in preparing for a
• CL4
  Water pricing to pay for the tables. difficult future. Some of the specific various, necessary, costly sup- • Orange County natural water points are as follows: ply sources, under even the storage differs dramatically
• CL5
  State Water Project infrastruc- best-case scenarios, will rise between its north and south ture is extremely vulnerable to levels never before seen. reaches. South Orange Coun- to catastrophic failures from In this water-scarce region, ty has no groundwater basin, natural events in the Sacra- consumers are facing dire making it almost wholly de- mento-San Joaquin Delta circumstances regardless of pendent on imported supplies and seismic events affecting population growth and hous- from Metropolitan. other major water transmis- ing construction. • The County’s resources have sion infrastructure. Having
• CL6
  Public awareness of water allowed water managers to a two-out-of-three chance of supply issues is far below institute protocols to deal drastic levee failures within acceptable levels and must be with emergencies. Examples 25 years which could disable improved. of effective working rela- the state’s water supply for at
• CL7
  A number of innovative infra- tionships have been demon- least two years is alarming. structure projects and transfer strated in associations such as
• CL8
  Scientists have projected the WEROC. It would be a shame inevitable end to the Delta 2008-2009 Orange County Grand Jury Page 15 “Paper Water” — Does Orange County Have a Reliable Future? to politically sever the County very little, if any, expressed F.3(b) The current dis- water resources management concern from the public in agreement is a distraction structure and make a unified comparison to the numerous from the greater good working relationship all the other environmental issues of the agencies working more difficult. presented during develop- toward Orange County’s In closing, the announcement ment project reviews. water future. for the May 15, 2009, O.C. Water F.2(a): Orange County’s F.3(c) The stakeholders Summit in Anaheim succinctly citizens and interest in LAFCo’s study failed raises the level of urgency: “Most groups do not appear to to meet their March 11, business leaders and residents of grasp the seriousness of 2009 deadline for LAFCo’s Orange County have no idea that the water supply situa- public hearing on this mat- the water crisis is this serious and tion or the complexity and ter. Continued delays are escalating.” Specific actions are ur- urgency of the necessary unacceptable. gent. This investigation is intended solutions. to offer several of them that will F.4: Orange County is strengthen the County’s condition. F.2(b): Several recent, uniquely fortunate to have substantial water sup- a vast, high-quality, well-

Agency Responses 34

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.