Unprecedented Grant Expands Groundwater Recharge
REDLANDS — A $5.403 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will help the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District (SBVWCD) expand its ability to capture stormwater and store it underground for the communities that depend on the region’s groundwater. The award for the Oak Creek Basins is the largest award for the Program for Expansion of Recharge Capacity, or PERC, projects to date.
“Every storm brings an opportunity to store water for the future, but only if we have the capacity to capture it,” said SBVWCD General Manager Betsy Miller Vixie. “This historic investment will help us make better use of the water nature provides, storing it underground where it can support our residents, economy and environment for years to come.”
The Oak Creek Basins project is the top priority identified through SBVWCD’s PERC, a regional effort with San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and Western Municipal Water District to find the most effective opportunities to expand groundwater recharge.
PERC evaluated 10 potential projects across six sites. Oak Creek rose to the top because it could increase recharge while delivering strong long-term value and environmental benefits. The project will add new recharge basins upstream of existing facilities in the Plunge Creek watershed and is estimated to recharge an additional 54,242 acre-feet of water over 50 years.
Groundwater recharge is not new to SBVWCD, with roots stretching back to 1909. Since then, generations of staff and regional partners have worked to capture flows from the Santa Ana River and Mill Creek and return that water to the aquifer below. Projects like Oak Creek build on that century of experience by expanding the region’s capacity to capture and store even more water when it is available.
That additional capacity matters because groundwater is a cornerstone of the San Bernardino Valley’s water supply. Recharge basins allow stormwater to soak into the ground and replenish the aquifer, creating an underground reserve that can serve homes, businesses, farms and other water users long after a storm has passed.
PERC is designed to expand that opportunity across the region. The program combines new facilities, improvements to existing infrastructure, habitat protection and smarter operations to capture more stormwater when it is available.
SBVWCD’s Oak Creek application was among the highest-rated submissions to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Small Storage Program. Created through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the program made approximately $43 million available nationwide this year for smaller surface water and groundwater storage projects that strengthen water supply reliability and help communities prepare for the future.
To learn more about SBVWCD and its work to expand groundwater recharge in the San Bernardino Valley, visit sbvwaterconservation.gov.
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About San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District
For more than 100 years, the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District has worked at the intersection of infrastructure, environment, and community to support local water reliability while preserving open space and biodiversity. Through science-based stewardship and collaborative partnerships, SBVWCD captures stormwater, recharges groundwater basins, and advances solutions that reflect balanced policy, sound decision-making, and responsible resource management across the San Bernardino Valley region.
ACWA Advocacy Delivers Significant Wins for Members
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom this week acted on several bills of interest to ACWA members, including signing the association’s two sponsored bills and vetoing two bills that, while well-intentioned, would have negatively impacted members’ water rights and infrastructure work.
The two sponsored bills — SB 1153 and AB 2180 — will provide new clarity for water agencies related to wildfire liability and water rate-setting.
ACWA led coalitions in support of both bills, and strong member engagement was essential to their success. The two laws, which take effect in 2027, are outlined below along with the governor’s final decisions on other key water bills that ACWA advocated on during the 2026 legislative session.
More background is available in an Oct. 1 Advisory. Member login is required. Summaries of the two bills and final status of other key pieces of water-related legislation are outlined below.
Wildfires
SB 1153 (Caballero, D-Merced) establishes that limitations in water supply or pressure during wildfires are not a substantial cause of damages. It also bolsters wildfire preparedness by requiring urban retail water suppliers in high fire risk areas to include wildfire response procedures in their existing emergency response plans by 2028.
Rate Setting
AB 2180 (Ward, D-San Diego) clarifies how water agencies comply with Proposition 218 when setting water rates, helping to minimize unnecessary legal disputes and providing greater predictability for agencies while supporting California’s water-use conservation goals.
Other Key Water Bills
ACWA staff tracked and engaged on approximately 75 bills during the 2026 legislative session. The governor’s decisions on several other key water bills are outlined below.
Author: Assemblymember James Ramos (D-San Bernardino)
Status: Vetoed
What it would have done: ACWA had an oppose-unless-amended position on this bill, which would have required state governmental agencies to allow access to state public lands for the purposes of tribal religious freedoms. ACWA worked with a coalition of partner organizations to seek amendments that would exclude water from the bill’s provisions and clarify that the bill would not impact public infrastructure projects.
Author: Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose)
Status: Vetoed
What it would have done: ACWA had an oppose-unless-amended position on this bill, which would have required state agencies to implement a policy to address historical inequities affecting California Native American tribes across a wide range of policy decisions. ACWA staff had advocated to ensure the bill included appropriate legal guardrails to protect existing water rights, highlighting concerns regarding the bill’s intent and potential implementation challenges.
Author: Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park)
Status: Vetoed
What it would have done if signed into law: Co-sponsored by ACWA member agencies, this bill would have prohibited a public agency from prohibiting imported water deliveries for groundwater replenishment due to invasive mussels.
Author: Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton)
Status: Signed
What it will do: Co-sponsored by ACWA member agencies, it will assist water managers in their response to golden mussels by streamlining rapid response actions, directing consistent interim guidance through a state task force. Given the urgency clause in the bill, it will take effect immediately.
Author: Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando)
Status: Vetoed
What it would have done: This ACWA-supported bill would have established a statewide low-income rate assistance (LIRA) program. ACWA strongly supports state efforts to protect water affordability and has consistently advocated for a LIRA program that is workable and efficient for the public water agencies that will play a key role in administering it.
State Budget
The governor signed the state budget on June 29 and signed an updated and amended version into law on Sept. 18.
The June budget included a one-time allocation of $25 million from the General Fund for the ACWA-supported Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program. This funding will support both flow commitments and the habitat and scientific investments associated with the HRL program.
New Water Year Calls for Flexibility, Preparedness
SACRAMENTO – As California begins a new water year today, the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) is calling on state leaders to embrace long-term planning around water management as recommended through its Vision for Our Water Future initiative.
Beginning today and lasting through Sept. 30, 2027, the new water year is expected to include an unusually strong El Niño event. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proclaimed a state of emergency to accelerate preventative flood control work, with forecasts predicting a greater than 90 percent chance of a historically severe event during fall and winter 2026-’27.
However, by providing greater operational flexibility and increasing system capacity, California can also capture and store water from this type of weather event, reduce flood risks, better protect communities, and prepare for a future of increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather and hydrology.
“The start of a new water year is an important reminder that California cannot control when and how water enters the system, but we can improve our ability to manage it when it does,” said ACWA Executive Director Karla Nemeth. “That means increasing our ability to capture, move and store water. Whether this winter brings extreme storms or conditions change quickly, California needs a water system designed to manage increasingly extreme and variable conditions.”
Nemeth, who became ACWA executive director Sept. 1, previously served as director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) beginning in 2018. Her work at DWR included preparing for more extreme weather, investing in atmospheric and runoff forecasting and infrastructure, advancing groundwater management and supporting local water resilience.
A Water System Designed for Extremes
ACWA’s Vision for Our Water Future provides a workable framework for the challenges ahead. Developed with ACWA’s broad and diverse membership of 470 public water agencies statewide, who supply water to 90% of Californians, the initiative calls for a resilient and reliable water system capable of meeting the needs of the state’s economy, communities and environment. ACWA launched its Vision initiative to elevate water as a priority for California’s next governor, legislative leaders and state officials.
“California has the expertise and experience to adapt to a changing hydrology,” Nemeth said. “Now we need sustained action to modernize our water system, increase its capacity and build the flexibility needed to manage both wet and dry extremes.”
Preparing California for a more variable and unpredictable water future requires both increased capacity and greater flexibility. Increasing capacity means strengthening the state’s ability to capture and store water, including through surface and groundwater storage, while improving the infrastructure needed to capture and move water when available and where it can provide the greatest benefit. Providing flexibility means using better forecasting, real-time information and adaptive operations so water managers can respond to rapidly changing conditions while meeting water supply and environmental priorities.
Recent experience demonstrates what greater flexibility can accomplish. During storms in December 2025, changes that allowed for more real-time operational decision-making enabled the State Water Project to capture an additional 15,000 acre-feet of water in December and January, enough to supply 30,000 Californians with water for an entire year.
Increasing Capacity for the Long Term
The need to increase water-system capacity extends well beyond a single winter. Earlier this year, California launched development of the California Water Plan 2028 with a statewide planning target of 9 million acre-feet by 2040, encompassing supply, conservation, recharge and storage strategies intended to help close projected future supply gaps.
Elaine Jeng Joins Inland Empire Utilities Agency as Deputy General Manager
INLAND EMPIRE – The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elaine Jeng to serve as the Agency’s Deputy General Manager. Deputy General Manager Jeng’s recruitment was preceded by former Deputy General Manager Kevin Alexander’s transition to General Manager. She recently joined the Agency on September 14, 2026.
With more than 25 years of public works experience, Deputy General Manager Jeng has dedicated her career to advancing infrastructure that strengthens communities. She is a California-licensed civil engineer and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from UCLA. Throughout her career, she has overseen capital improvement, stormwater, and wastewater programs. Her extensive background spans engineering, public works, and municipal leadership, including completion of the El Monte Operable Unit project. The project brought together industry experts, State and federal regulators, municipalities, and Operators to accomplish a vital goal of treating contaminated groundwater to drinking standards and delivering a brand-new water source to the basin.
“Elaine Jeng brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective that will play an important role as we continue investing in the systems and services our communities depend on every day,” said Kevin Alexander, General Manager. “Her expertise, collaborative approach, and commitment to innovation will be a tremendous asset to the Agency as we advance key projects that strengthen our region’s long-term resilience.”
Deputy General Manager Jeng will lead and direct the Technical Resources programs at IEUA including Engineering, Operations & Maintenance, Planning & Resources, and the Chino Basin Program. She will also be responsible for the operations of the Chino I Desalter and the Inland Empire Regional Composting Facility.
“The opportunity to join IEUA and support its important work across the region is incredibly rewarding,” said Elaine Jeng, Deputy General Manager. “The Agency fosters a culture that promotes growth, accountability, innovation, and collaboration, all of which align with my personal values. I look forward to collaborating with staff and interested parties to help deliver projects that create lasting value for our communities.”
Water Career Day Opens Career Pathways for San Diego’s Future Workforce
ENCINITAS—Olivenhain Municipal Water District, San Elijo Joint Powers Authority, and Leucadia Wastewater District will host the third annual Water Career Day at the SEJPA campus on October 8. This award-winning workforce development event is designed to provide students and military veterans with pathways to careers in the water and wastewater industry.
The day’s program includes exploring various career options such as engineering, water treatment, and field services. Interactive stations offer the chance to apply critical thinking skills and work on real-world infrastructure challenges. Attendees will learn about water workforce training programs and network with agency recruitment professionals.
“Water Career Day provides a hands-on educational opportunity to introduce students to the people, technology, and purpose behind the essential services our communities depend on every day. We’re excited to welcome students back for a third year and show them firsthand the many rewarding career paths available in the water and wastewater industry,” said Leucadia Wastewater District board president Matthew Brown.
“Water Career Day reflects our commitment to the community and our staff, the unsung heroes who work to make clean water a way of life,” said Luke Shaffer, board president of the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority. “By welcoming students and veterans, we’re encouraging the next generation to explore careers that protect public health and the environment.”
“The water and wastewater sector has long been a backbone of San Diego’s workforce,” said OMWD board vice president Neal Meyers. “We’re proud to connect students and veterans with good, stable, and meaningful career pathways that protect public health and the environment.”
CCWD Receives National Award for Sustainable Utility Management
Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) has been recognized with the 2026 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), a national organization representing the country’s largest publicly owned drinking water systems. The award recognizes water utilities that demonstrate a strong commitment to balancing innovation, operational excellence, fiscal responsibility, environmental stewardship, and community service.
CCWD is one of six utilities nationwide selected to receive the 2026 award and is among a small group of agencies that have earned the recognition multiple times.
“Contra Costa Water District is honored to receive the 2026 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award in recognition of our commitment to source water protection, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and the long-term planning needed to ensure reliable water service for our customers for today and tomorrow,” said Rachel Murphy, CCWD General Manager and an AMWA Board Member.
The recognition reflects CCWD’s ongoing commitment to protecting local water supplies, maintaining reliable infrastructure, planning responsibly for the future, and delivering high-quality drinking water to the communities we serve.
Read the full AMWA news release.
Montecito Water District Considers Sale of Partial State Water Contract Interests
At their monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Montecito Water District’s Board of Directors will consider entering into a non-binding Letter of Intent concerning the future sale of a portion of the District’s State Water contract interests. The potential purchase by Solstra Communities California LLC (Solstra) would be for the planned Solomon Hills development of up to 4,000 homes in northern Santa Barbara County. If the Board approves the Letter of Intent on Tuesday, next steps would include preparing a purchase agreement, which is anticipated to take approximately six months. Even with an agreement in place, the sale would not be finalized until the development receives all final approvals, which could take several years. If successful, the transaction will divest the District of approximately 40% of its interest in California’s State Water Project. As a participant in State Water since 1997, the District pays annually for an allocation of water and use of the conveyance infrastructure, irrespective of availability. Over the past decade, the costs of State Water have increased while reliability has decreased. This partial sale would provide the District with an upfront payment for the portion permanently transferred and substantially reduce its future operational and capital infrastructure costs related to State Water. The District will retain more than half of its original State Water Project entitlement, and there are no projected impacts to the reliability of its water supplies. “We have been building this plan for years,” said Floyd Wicks, who is serving his tenth year on the board. “Because of our team’s collaboration with Santa Barbara, we now have a far more reliable water supply from the Pacific Ocean. As a result, we are able to divest a portion of our State Water Project assets to other communities that don’t have access to the ocean. Our board and staff planned very strategically and the District has led the way to a more drought-proof water supply for our Montecito and Summerland customers.” The proposed sale terms involve a permanent transfer of 1,400 acre feet of State Water Contract interests inclusive of proportional conveyance and treatment. The District would retain interests including 1,900 acre feet of its annual allocation, and the capacity to convey, store, and transfer water, while gaining financial resources for high-priority initiatives such as strengthening local water supply reliability and addressing aging infrastructure. Although 1,400 acre feet is the contracted amount for the sale, the actual volume of water the District foregoes could be far less given State projections for future allocations.Otay Water District Recognized as “District of Distinction”
SPRING VALLEY — The Otay Water District has received the “District of Distinction” accreditation from the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF), recognizing the District’s sound fiscal management practices, commitment to good governance, and transparency in public agency operations. “SDLF provides an independent audit review of the last three years of the District’s operations to ensure prudent fiscal practices,” said SDLF Chief Executive Officer Neil McCormick. “The committee members who review the audits are volunteers from the special district community, including district controllers, directors of finance, and certified general managers.” To qualify for the accreditation, members of the District’s board of directors and executive staff must also complete training in public governance, ethics, and harassment prevention. The District must also meet transparency requirements by making key information readily available to the public through its website, including election procedures and deadlines, board meeting schedules and agendas, the current District budget, the most recent financial audit, and compensation information for board members and employees or a link to the State Controller’s Office webpage containing that information. “This accreditation reflects Otay Water District’s continued commitment to responsible fiscal management, transparency, and open government,” said Board President Francisco X. Rivera. “As the financial and regulatory demands facing public agencies continue to grow, strong fiscal policies and sound management practices are essential to sustaining reliable service, accountability, and public trust. Our customers and community deserve to know that the District is managing public resources responsibly and making thoughtful decisions with their best interests in mind.” The District of Distinction accreditation builds on the District’s ongoing commitment to transparency and good governance. In 2025, the District received the SDLF District Transparency Certificate of Excellence, recognizing its efforts to promote openness, accessibility, and accountability for customers and community stakeholders. SDLF is an independent nonprofit organization formed to promote good governance and best practices among California’s special districts through certification, accreditation, and recognition programs. Special districts are independent public agencies that provide essential local services such as water, wastewater treatment, fire protection, parks and recreation, healthcare, sanitation, mosquito abatement, ports, libraries, public cemeteries, and other community services. The Otay Water District is a public agency providing water, recycled water, and sewer service to approximately 242,155 customers within approximately 125 square miles of southeastern San Diego County, including the communities of eastern Chula Vista, Bonita, Jamul, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa, and east Otay Mesa along the international border with Mexico. For more information about the Otay Water District, visit otaywater.gov. Follow Otay on social media:- www.x.com/OtayWater
- www.instagram.com/OtayWater
- www.facebook.com/OtayWaterDistrict
- www.youtube.com/OtayWaterDistrict
- www.linkedin.com/company/otay-water-district
- www.nextdoor.com/pages/otay-water-district
YLWD and USACE Celebrate Major Milestone for Well 23 Groundwater Project
ANAHEIM – The Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD/District) celebrated a significant milestone in its Well 23 Groundwater Project on August 27 with the signing of a Project Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at the future Well 23 site at Warner Basin in Anaheim.
The agreement represents the culmination of more than four years of collaboration and marks an important step toward advancing the design of YLWD’s Well 23, which will become the District’s 11th groundwater well. Once complete, the project will provide an additional source of locally produced water and help reduce the District’s reliance on imported water supplies, strengthening the long-term reliability and resilience of the water supply serving the community.
The ceremony brought together federal, regional and local leaders who helped make the project possible, including Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), the YLWD Board, the Orange County Water District Board, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“It was a lot of hard work to get us to where we are today, but we certainly did not do it alone,” said Mark Toy, YLWD General Manager. “In my experience, great projects are a result of great partnerships, and we are incredibly grateful to the partners who have helped bring this project to this important milestone, and especially to Representative Young Kim, without whom this project would not be made possible.”
Congresswoman Kim’s advocacy was instrumental in helping YLWD secure $1.1 million in federal funding to advance the Well 23 project. Her continued support for critical water infrastructure helped establish the foundation for the partnership celebrated at the ceremony.
Col. Josh Bost, commander of the Los Angeles District, USACE, highlighted the broader importance of the partnership, emphasizing that investments that make water systems more reliable, resilient, and sustainable ultimately strengthen the communities that depend on them.
“Water reliability is a shared responsibility,” said Gene Hernandez, YLWD Board President. “This project demonstrates the tremendous value of partnerships and what we can accomplish together to protect and strengthen our local water supplies.”
YLWD is grateful for the partnership of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Congresswoman Young Kim and her staff, the Orange County Water District, and the many individuals whose advocacy, expertise and commitment have helped move Well 23 forward. For YLWD, the Well 23 partnership represents a meaningful investment in the future—one that will help diversify local water supplies, strengthen resilience, and support reliable water service for generations to come.
To hear from the leaders and partners who helped make this milestone possible, watch the full Well 23 Project Agreement Signing Ceremony on YLWD’s YouTube channel.
For more information on the Well 23 Groundwater Project, contact the Yorba Linda Water District at 714-701-3000 or email the Public Affairs Team at pio@ylwd.com.
Ed Winkler Appointed to SSWD Board of Directors
SACRAMENTO – On Monday, September 21st, the Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) Board of Directors approved the appointment of Ed Winkler to the SSWD Board by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Winkler will represent Division 4, which includes portions of Carmichael, Del Paso Manor, and Arden Arcade.
Mr. Winkler is a civil engineer with over 40 years of experience. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority and the Sacramento Groundwater Authority. During his stewardship of those organizations, he helped secure millions of dollars in State and Federal grants, which improved SSWD’s infrastructure and its conjunctive use program.
“I’m honored to join the SSWD Board and continue my efforts to improve water supply reliability and give back to the local Sacramento community where I have lived my entire life,” said Mr. Winkler.
SSWD is governed by a five-member Board of Directors. Directors are elected to four-year terms, with elections held in even-numbered years. Mr. Winkler will be up for election on November 3rd, along with Divisions 1, 3, and 5.