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(Washington D.C.)- Given growing demand for water, the rising cost of imported water, and the current drought crisis in California, Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water and Power, announced today that the Subcommittee will be holding an oversight field hearing on “Perspectives on California Water Supply: Challenges and Opportunities,” in Los Angeles, California on Monday, January 25, at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The hearing will focus on southern California’s innovations for dealing with drought, their potential application for other parts of California, and statewide water problems that have been exacerbated by a rising demand for water and climate trends that make California’s water supply increasingly unreliable in times of drought.
“The damage dealt by the drought is a statewide problem, and southern California has water-saving expertise it can share with the rest of the state,” Napolitano said. “The innovations southern California water agencies have developed can help our entire state deal with the drought and prepare for the future.”
Communities across California are dealing with growing water demands and a water supply that continues to become more costly, less reliable and more vulnerable to drought. Many communities remain unprepared to deal with the drought or cope with future demands on their water supply. Southern California water agencies have led the way by developing water conservation, recycling, and reuse measures that help to deal with drought conditions and adapt to a drought cycle that has become less predictable due to climate change.
The oversight hearing will explore these solutions and examine how they can be used in other areas of California. The Subcommittee on Water and Power will determine from expert testimony how California’s communities can best be assisted at the federal level. Related areas of inquiry will include groundwater supply and quality issues, water recycling and reuse, water conservation, impacts on Colorado River water supplies, and the continuing use of recycled water to reduce the need for expensive water imported from northern California.
“If we want California to deal with this drought and come out strong enough to withstand the next one, we have to learn and take action,” Napolitano said. “Drought-fighting techniques can help provide us with a safety net for times when our water supply cannot deliver the water we need. Educating users on the critical importance of water conservation, becoming more efficient with our water, and finding ways to reduce demand are all necessary to ensure the stable, reliable water supply California needs to grow and prosper.”
Subject: House Natural Resources Committee
Subcommittee on Water and Power
Oversight Field Hearing on “Perspectives on California Water Supply: Challenges
and Opportunities”
When: Monday, January 25, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. PST
Where: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Boardroom
700 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Witnesses: To be announced
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