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PARTICIPATION WITH WMWD IN THE
SOLVE THE WATER CRISIS COALITION
City Council
August 16, 2022
Public Utilities Department
RiversideCA.gov
2 1. Western Municipal Water District created and is leading the Solve the Water Crisis Coalition
(As of mid-June, 21 other agencies have signed onto the Coalition)
2. As a result of the extreme weather events California has been experiencing coupled with the ongoing drought
and dwindling water supplies in existing state storage
facilities, action is needed now to secure California’s water future.
BACKGROUND
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3 3. The mission of the “Solve the Water Crisis Coalition” is to educate and bring into sharp focus the ongoing water
supply crisis that already impacts residents, quality of life, economic growth, community health, and the
environment, as well as risking California’s future.
4. Solve the Water Crisis Coalition will advocate for solutions to expand water storage and conveyance systems.
Water conservation alone will not solve CA’s water crisis.
5. Advocate Administration and Legislature prioritize
funding for projects from existing state budget surplus to solve statewide water supply problems.
BACKGROUND
RiversideCA.gov
4 Solve the Water Crisis will:
a. Elevate water as a crisis that is already here and educate State leadership that this crisis must be solved to protect the State’s future
b. Prioritize California legislators, regulators, and Administration as the Coalition’s key audience
c. Demonstrate the need for comprehensive, long-term
investments, improved science, and regulatory reforms to increase water supply for the State
DISCUSSION
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5 1. The Coalition will meet monthly to assess progress and discuss strategy
2. A Steering Committee made up of 7-10 GMs lead the Coalition
3. Each participating agency will contribute a payment of $15,000 to cover the program
4. Western hired KP Public Affairs to manage the Coalition program a. Developing material, messagi ng, media and website campaigns b. Outreach and coalition building
c. Completing research, tracking, and measuring the effects of the coalition
5. By the end of September 2022, KP Public Affairs will create a report summarizing the effectiveness of the Coalition and providing recommendations.
Depending on the success of this effort, a second phase may be implemented at which time a second round of funding may be requested
DISCUSSION
RiversideCA.gov
6 Priority No. 4 – Environmental Stewardship
Goal 4.2 – Sustainably manage local water resources to maximize reliability and advance water reuse to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable water to our community
Cross-Cutting Threads
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
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7 That the City Council:
1. Approve an annual expenditure of $15,000 for
participation in Solve the Water Crisis Coalition for Fiscal Years 2022/23 and 2023/24, at the discretion of the Utilities General Manager, for a total expenditure not to exceed
$30,000; and
2. Designate Public Utilities General Manager as the
designee and Assistant General Manager as the alternate designee to represent the City of Riverside in the Solve the Water Crisis Coalition.
RECOMMENDATIONS
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