Association of California Water Agencies

Association of California Water Agencies
Name	Association of California Water Agencies
Formation	1910s
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
Leader title	Executive Director

Association of California Water Agencies is a statewide trade association representing public water agencies in California. It serves as a collective voice for municipal and regional water suppliers, coordinating policy, legal, technical, and legislative efforts among member agencies. The association interacts with a wide array of institutions across California's water sector and related fields to influence regulatory, infrastructure, and environmental outcomes.

History

The organization's roots trace to early 20th-century efforts by California water districts and irrigation districts such as Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Central Valley Project, Imperial Irrigation District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to coordinate responses to state-level water development and allocation issues. During the 1930s and 1940s, agencies including San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and Santa Clara Valley Water District interacted with federal entities like the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and legislators from California State Legislature to address major projects such as the Hetch Hetchy Project and the California Aqueduct. Post-war growth prompted engagement with environmental and regulatory milestones involving California Department of Water Resources, California State Water Resources Control Board, and litigation before the California Supreme Court and federal courts like the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the late 20th century, the association worked alongside stakeholders such as Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, and State Water Contractors on debates over the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and the Endangered Species Act implications for salmon and delta smelt populations. Into the 21st century, interactions with agencies like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Environmental Protection Agency, and administrations including Governor Jerry Brown and Governor Gavin Newsom have shaped responses to droughts such as the 2012–2016 California drought and policies stemming from legislation like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission emphasizes representation of member agencies in forums including the California State Capitol, the United States Congress, and administrative bodies like the California Public Utilities Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Environmental Protection Agency. Activities involve convening task forces with participants from American Water Works Association, Water Research Foundation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and agricultural stakeholders such as California Farm Bureau Federation and Western Growers. It conducts workshops that bring together experts from institutions like Stanford University, University of California, Davis, University of Southern California, California Institute of Technology, and research labs including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to address infrastructure resilience, water quality, and climate adaptation.

Membership and Governance

Membership consists of diverse public entities including municipal utilities (e.g., San Diego County Water Authority), irrigation districts (e.g., Turlock Irrigation District), joint powers authorities (e.g., Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency), and regional agencies (e.g., Moulton Niguel Water District). The governance structure features a board and committees populated by representatives from member agencies, modeled in part on governance practices seen at organizations like Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and National Rural Water Association. Leadership interacts with legislative leadership such as the California State Assembly and California State Senate and convenes legal counsel with firms that have appeared in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Courts of Appeal.

Policy and Advocacy

Advocacy spans state and federal policy, engaging with statutory frameworks like the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and water-specific statutes including the Delta Reform Act of 2009. The association lobbies on appropriations before the United States Congress and budget processes at the California Department of Finance and works with agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on water rights, allocations, and infrastructure funding. It files amicus briefs in litigation involving entities like Pacific Gas & Electric, Chevron Corporation, and environmental plaintiffs represented by organizations including Earthjustice; it also partners with funders such as the California Water Foundation and philanthropic organizations like The Rockefeller Foundation on resilience initiatives.

Programs and Services

The organization offers programs including legislative tracking, regulatory advocacy, workforce development, mutual aid coordination, and technical assistance. It runs conferences and training attended by personnel from utilities like Orange County Water District, Marin Municipal Water District, Contra Costa Water District, and consultants from firms such as Jacobs Engineering Group, AECOM, and CH2M Hill. Programs address topics such as stormwater management aligned with guidelines from the State Water Resources Control Board, groundwater sustainability under the California Department of Water Resources, recycled water initiatives comparable to projects by San Diego Water Authority and research collaborations with universities like California State University, Sacramento and University of California, Berkeley.

Funding and Finance

Revenue streams include membership dues, conference fees, sponsorships from industry partners like Veolia, Suez, Xylem, and grants or contracts with federal programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state grants from the California Department of Water Resources. The association manages budgets and audits in line with practices of nonprofit trade groups such as National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and coordinates financial assistance programs that leverage bond financing markets, often interacting with entities like the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and municipal bond underwriters.

Criticism and Controversies

The association has faced criticism from environmental groups including Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Friends of the Earth for positions on water allocations affecting species protected under the Endangered Species Act and for lobbying practices before the California Legislature and regulatory agencies. Debates have arisen over infrastructure priorities during droughts involving agencies such as Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and projects like proposed Delta tunnels with opponents including Restore the Delta. Concerns have also been raised by consumer advocates and fiscal watchdogs such as Consumer Watchdog and Little Hoover Commission about transparency, rate setting by member agencies like Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the influence of corporate sponsors from the private water sector.

Category:Water in California