Robert Katherman

The Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Budget for the Water Replenishment District of Southern California outlines the District's strategic direction to ensure safe and sustainable high-quality groundwater. Key goals include expanding replenishment opportunities and extraction capacity, maximizing innovation and environmental resiliency, and promoting organizational excellence. The document references the 'WIN 4 ALL: The 2040 Plan,' a 20-year strategic initiative focused on achieving regional water independence through the utilization of local water supplies and groundwater storage, thereby eliminating reliance on imported water.

This document, 'Our Road to Water Independence', details the Water Replenishment District's historical journey and future strategic direction to achieve regional water independence. It outlines key initiatives such as Water Independence Now (WIN), a suite of programs focused on stormwater capture, recycled water use, and advanced treated recycled water for groundwater replenishment. The updated '2040 Plan for Regional Water Independence' emphasizes increasing resiliency in replenishment operations, expanding extraction capacity, and utilizing local recycled water and stormwater resources to enhance the region's water supply and reduce dependence on imported water.

This Capital Improvement Program outlines WRD's 5-year strategic direction (FY 2026-2030) for securing a sustainable water future, focusing on providing, protecting, and preserving safe and sustainable groundwater for the Los Angeles Basin. The program details 26 projects with a total estimated cost of $232 million, supported by $197 million in external funding. Key strategic goals include Infrastructure Improvement, Groundwater Quality, expanding Sustainable Replenishment Opportunities, sustaining Extraction Capacity, maximizing Environmental Resiliency and Innovation, promoting Organizational Excellence, and maintaining Stakeholder and Community Engagement.

This Strategic Plan outlines the Water Replenishment District's direction for providing, protecting, and preserving safe and sustainable groundwater. It focuses on key priorities including expanding sustainable replenishment opportunities, sustaining extraction capacity, maximizing environmental resiliency and innovation, promoting organizational excellence, and maintaining stakeholder and community engagement. The plan aims to leverage groundwater aquifers to create a locally sustainable water supply for the Los Angeles Basin region, ensuring resilience and leadership in collaboration, innovation, and sustainability.

This Groundwater Basins Master Plan establishes a framework for enhancing groundwater replenishment, increasing the reliability of supplies, and improving groundwater quality in the West Coast and Central basins. The plan outlines two primary concepts: Concept A to meet existing adjudicated water rights, and Concept B to provide additional storage and extraction beyond current levels. It identifies specific projects and management strategies involving increased utilization of existing facilities, and the expansion or upgrade of recycled water treatment facilities and new water infrastructure.