California Voters Approve Prop 1: Water Bond Funds 21st Century Clean and Reliable Water Solutions

LOS ANGELES (November 4, 2014) — California voters today passed, by a very comfortable margin, Proposition 1, a new $7.5 billion water bond that will provide clean drinking water to disadvantaged communities and fund critical investments in regional water supply solutions that are the future of California water management.

Proposition 1 provides $2.4 billion in funding for regional water projects such as water conservation, water recycling, stormwater capture, agricultural and urban water use efficiency, and groundwater cleanup. It also makes major investments in improving the health of our rivers, coastal estuaries and wildlife, with nearly $1.5 billion for watershed restoration projects around the state.

Following is a statement by the NRDC’s Director of California Advocacy Ann Notthoff:

“California voters get it.  We need to act now to protect what precious little water we have and make smart investments to protect our water future. Prop 1 funds major investments in 21st century solutions that are long overdue. Groundwater cleanup, water recycling and water use efficiency projects will help our water go further and make California more drought-resistant in the years to come.

“Unlike Congressional efforts in Washington, D.C to weaken environmental laws, California voters know that we can protect both our economy and environment with smart water investments like Proposition 1.”