PRIORITIZING THE REGION’S TOP WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS

Under California’s seemingly endless drought, what projects are needed to drought-proof the Bay Area’s water supply? That was among the topics the Bay Area Council Water Committee addressed last week (Sept. 4) at a meeting hosted by the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Treatment Center in San Jose. In coordination with the region’s largest water agencies, the committee is identifying the planned water recycling, storage and integration projects that will be most essential to adapting the region’s supplies of fresh water in the era of climate change. The first-of-its-kind regional prioritization will help focus our efforts to collectively advocate for and secure state and federal funding (rather than competing) and speed delivery of the highest value projects.

In addition, the committee received a fascinating presentation from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on new advances in brackish desalination technology that can reduce energy consumption by up to 80 percent, and previewed a polished new video highlighting the risks and opportunities of climate change, sea level rise, and extreme storm events and flooding along the San Francisco Bay. The Water Committee is chaired by Andy Ball, West Coast President, Suffolk Construction Company, and Jim Levine, Managing Partner, Montezuma Wetlands, LLC. To engage in our water policy work, please contact Policy Director Adrian Covert.