Western States Need Water. San Diego Has Extra. Will They Make A Deal?
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- San Diego County, California, is looking to sell excess water from its desalination plant, which is operating at only one-third capacity despite a nearly $1 billion investment following a 1990s drought.
- Due to ongoing drought and low snowmelt, Colorado River basin reservoirs are expected to have minimal inflow, potentially causing shortages in states like Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
- San Diego’s water utility is exploring deals to transfer water rights to other Western states, marking a rare and possibly unprecedented interstate water transfer.
- Such transfers would likely require new federal laws or regulations, as interstate water sales of this nature have not occurred before.
- Central Arizona Project officials have discussed the possibility of purchasing San Diego’s water but have not made any decisions yet.
