YLWD Board Supports the Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022

On November 17, 2021, the Yorba Linda Water District Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 2021-42 Supporting the Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022. The Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022 (Act) would require the transfer of 2% of the State’s General Fund Revenue annually into a trust account for water projects until a minimum of 5,000,000 acre-feet of additional annual water supply can be delivered to Californians every year thereafter. Upon reaching the threshold of a minimum of 5,000,000 acre-feet delivered annually, the automatic transfer of 2% of the State’s General Fund would be inoperative, except as necessary to repay any outstanding bond debt. The California Water Commission is the entity responsible for implementing the Act. The trust account of the Act will be used to fund the following project categories:

1. Development or expansion of groundwater aquifer storage, remediation, and recovery projects
2. Recycling, purification, and treatment of stormwater and wastewater to water reuse standards including, but not limited to, current drinking water standards at the time the project is approved
3. Expansion, repair, or replacement of existing surface reservoirs, and construction of new surface reservoirs
4. Desalination plants
5. Water conveyance development, maintenance, or expansion, for the delivery of clean, safe drinking water for homes and businesses, and water for agricultural uses, consistent with the area of origin water rights
6. Other projects designed to increase the clean, safe, and affordable supply of water to all Californians with emphasis on California’s disadvantaged communities, and other projects designed to increase conservation
7. Research and development of new technologies designed to increase the clean, safe, and affordable supply of water to all Californians, subject to an annual limit of no more than two percent of available funds

The Act also amends the Public Resources Code to allow drought resiliency projects associated with funding from the Act to be subject to a streamlined review of the applicant’s compliance with CEQA, and in some cases, would make projects funded by the Act exempt from CEQA. Furthermore, the Act gives the Secretary of Natural Resources the ability to review, approve, deny, and/or issue any Coastal Commission action or inaction for projects funded partially or wholly by the Act. This includes any coastal development permits or denials arising from appeals of a local government pursuant to a local coastal program. According to the Attorney General of California, this initiative would be a constitutional amendment and create a statute.