Metropolitan Issues Statement on Governor's Drought Action, Increased State Water Project Allocation

Adel Hagekhalil, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement on Gov. Gavin Newsom's announced changes to drought declaration and the California Department of Water Resources' announced increase of the State Water Project allocation to 75 percent:

"We appreciate Gov. Newsom's leadership to help address and adapt to the dynamic conditions brought by climate change. Today's action builds on his long-term strategy to bolster water resilience and reliability.

"The increased state allocation will provide much-needed relief to our stressed water supply conditions. After the three driest years in state history, we've just experienced one of the wettest winters. Next year could bring a return to extraordinarily dry conditions. But this is a powerful reminder of our new reality and the climate extremes we must adapt to quickly and responsibly.

"As we swing from one weather extreme to another, we must store as much available water as possible during wet conditions in preparation for the next inevitable dry period. That requires Metropolitan and other water agencies to capture and distribute water into diverse storage accounts, and it requires everyone across Southern California to maintain water-efficient habits. After depleting our reserves, we must work together to rebuild our savings. We also must prepare for a future in which this weather whiplash puts our water reliability at greater risk. That means investing in drought-proof supplies like recycled water, cleaning up our groundwater basins for storage, and improving the flexibility of our water systems. This wet winter, which has led to a large increase in our SWP allocation, is not a signal that we can relax, it is an alarm to act and accelerate our efforts to respond to rapidly changing conditions, including conservation, storage, recycling and reuse."