Burbank will be able to purchase up to 5,000 acre-feet of water annually from the San Diego County Water Authority under a long-term agreement announced Thursday aimed at increasing the city’s water supply reliability.
The agreement will run through 2047 and is intended to diversify Burbank’s water supplies as the city faces increasing demand and water scarcity across the West, according to the agency.
Burbank, which has a population of about 104,000, has no naturally occurring water rights and relies entirely on imported water supplied by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. That water comes from the State Water Project and Colorado River Aqueduct.
“This agreement will diversify Burbank’s water portfolio while helping us meet future demand as our population and business community grow,” Burbank Water and Power Assistant General Manager of Water Richard Wilson said. “Regional water exchange agreements like this one will be critical not only for Burbank but for all Southern California water agencies to ensure long-term reliability and supply.”
The agencies will use existing infrastructure to share the water, with no new pipelines required, according to the Water Authority.
The agreement is expected to generate $15 million in revenue for the San Diego County Water Authority during its first five years. Officials said the additional revenue will help offset costs associated with investments made to improve San Diego County’s water supply reliability.
“For the third time this year, the Water Authority found a way to help partners in Southern California lock in the water reliability they’re looking for in a way that benefits working families across San Diego County,” Water Authority Board Chair Nick Serrano said.
The agreement is the Water Authority’s third regional water supply partnership announced this year. The agency signed two agreements with Riverside County water agencies in the spring and later entered into a memorandum of understanding with the federal government and other parties to explore transferring locally produced desalinated seawater to Colorado River Basin partners in other states.
The Water Authority’s recently completed Urban Water Management Plan projects that the San Diego region will have sufficient supplies to meet water demand through at least 2050 under normal, single-dry-year and multiple-dry-year conditions.