California

Proposed $7.5 Billion Water Bond Would Cleanse Ground Reserves

In the past, the reservoirs supplied a third of the city's drinking water.

More than 100 San Fernando residents joined a California assemblyman Friday afternoon to hear about a proposed $7.5 billion bond aimed to improve the state's water supply.

The "water summit" at Los Angeles Valley College with Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, D- Sherman Oaks, and other Southern California water officials was meant to encourage residents to vote for Proposition 1 when they see its spot on the November ballot.

Some of the water bond money could help LA deal with the plume of decades-old contamination in the enormous pool of groundwater beneath the San Fernando Valley. In the past, the reservoirs supplied a third of the city's drinking water.

"We think the final water bond as it stands was a real home run for the city of LA," said Evelyn Cortez-Davis, manager of Water Recycling Regulatory Affairs at the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power.

Proposition 1 will draw from the state's general fund, which comes from voter's income taxes. Some of the residents at the summit expressed concerns for what this would cost them.

"The people that are going to be paying for part of that are sitting in this room," a woman in the audience said.

Voters will have less than three months to decide in the midterm elections.

"I think many people understand the great demands and needs that the state has to invest in a water bond," Nazarian said.

The water bond would fund the construction of two new reservoirs, water conservation, watershed improvements, flood management, recycling and cleanup efforts.

The bond, brokered by Gov. Jerry Brown between legislative leaders, reduces the funds from $11 billion to $7.5 billion.

"If I'm going to live here, I'll have to pay it," Valley Glen resident Asta Criss said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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