RESOLUTION NO. 2005-06
WHEREAS, after months of hard work, a statewide task force, with input from hundreds of public water agencies, has developed and the ACWA Board has approved, a comprehensive policy document, No Time to Waste: A Blue print for California Water; and
WHEREAS, the Blueprint will frame the discussion and decision-making required to provide all Californians with adequate supplies of high quality water, a healthy environment and a strong economy for decades to come; and
WHEREAS, ACWA members believed it was time for the water community to come forward with a bold policy statement and action plan for meeting California’s future water needs. As the local agencies that deliver water to communities, businesses and farms on a daily basis, ACWA members saw a need to articulate the biggest challenges facing the state’s water future and identify a set of actions to resolve them. They developed the Blueprint to layout those issues and provide a roadmap for state and federal officials to follow to ensure California has the water supply system it will need in the future; and
WHEREAS, a task force representing local public water agencies from throughout the state was formed in April 2004 to develop the Blueprint. The task force worked with a drafting committee to identify key issues and formulate specific recommendations. Extensive input was solicited from ACW A ‘s 10 regions and its 440 public water agency members as well as other water-related organizations. A draft of the Blueprint was sent to all member agencies for comment in December. Several revisions followed to reflect member input, and the ACWA Board approved a final draft in March 2005; and
WHEREAS, the Blueprint is aimed at policy leaders and lawmakers at both the state and federal levels. Its recommendations are geared toward state legislators, members of Congress, the Schwarzenegger Administration, the Bush Administration and all state and federal agencies involved in water supply and regulatory policy. The media, public and other organizations with an interest in resources issues are other key audiences; and
WHEREAS, the Blueprint makes a number of common sense recommendations that will, when implemented, guarantee clean and safe drinking water, irrigation for our farmers, and protection for California’s spectacular natural resources; and
WHEREAS, the Blueprint addresses several factors that could change both the availability of California’s water supply and the most effective strategies for meeting water needs. The factors require longer-term study and action to ensure the state has the water supply system it will need in the future. These include: risks to groundwater quality, climate change, and new drinking water issues; and
WHEREAS, RWA’s support of the Blueprint is subject to RWA’s understanding that the Blueprint is consistent with the co-equal objectives of the Water Forum Agreement to: (1) provide a reliable and safe water supply for the Sacramento region’s future economic health and planned development; and (2) preserve the fishery, wildlife, recreational and aesthetic values of the lower American River.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors of the Regional Water Authority hereby supports No Time to Waste: A Blueprint/or California Water, and encourages all governing bodies to implement, without delay, all provisions contained therein.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Regional Water Authority held on September 8, 2005.
