The Delta Conveyance Project is anticipated to provide significantly more benefits when compared to the costs associated with the project. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) released a benefit-cost analysis for the Delta Conveyance Project, showing that the infrastructure modernization project would generate nearly $38 billion in benefits. For every dollar spent, $2.20 in benefits would be generated in areas including reliable water supplies, climate change adaptation, earthquake preparedness, and improved water quality.
“Twenty-seven million people rely on these surface water supplies that support a $2.3 trillion economy in California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “There is a very real cost to do nothing. It is vastly more efficient and economical to avoid declining supplies. Water shortages, mandatory restrictions, land fallowing and job loss all impact our state and local economies.”
The project’s cost estimate remains steady at $20.1 billion, despite inflation, with potential cost savings through design refinements. Funded by local public water agencies, the project aims to ensure affordable, safe, and reliable water supplies.
“DWR’s analysis demonstrates that the Delta Conveyance Project’s benefits far outweigh the costs and that investing in the project is more efficient and economical than allowing our current infrastructure and supplies to decline,” General Manager of the State Water Contractors, Jennifer Pierre said in a press release. “The Delta Conveyance Project is critical to respond to fluctuating hydrology and weather extremes, increasing our ability to capture, move, and store rainwater in wet periods so we can use it during dry times.”
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Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West