Enough water to keep Southland in business.

Enough water to keep Southland in business

The current water crisis has given lie to Voltaire's aphorism to the effect that "nature acts, people argue."

Nature has acted to subject Los Angeles to the worst water crisis of this century. Californians have not just argued, however, but have continued in a course of sound management in the development and distribution of water, conservation of water and innovative water utilization programs that should protect the Los Angeles area's existing and potential businesses.

In short, good management of water resources is as important as good management of any other kind of business.

Most of Los Angeles' water development and distribution facilities were planned and developed in the first six decades of this century. Our groundwater basins provide substantial water storage without evaporation losses and, except where people themselves create pollution, in a generally uncontaminated condition.

Water can be stored in groundwater basins in times of plenty and drawn down over periods of shortage. Thus, so long as we continue to protect them, groundwater basins can provide not only a water supply but also safe and effective storage capacity.

In addition, the Los Angeles area has three very substantial sources of imported water. The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power's Los Angeles Aqueduct brings water from the Sierras Nevadas. Although that supply has been reduced in current years because of environmental considerations, it is still a significant source.

The Colorado River Aqueduct of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California brings water from the Colorado River to Southern California. Although that supply has been cut by about half, it continues to be a significant source.

Los Angeles is fortunate that its water planners joined with MWD during its early years when Los Angeles did not need and did not take any water from the Colorado River Aqueduct, so that today, in view of increased demands and water shortages, Los Angeles is able to benefit from that source of supply.

MWD also takes imported water from the State Water Project into the Southern California area via the California Aqueduct and the various distribution facilities with MWD.

In times of surplus, these sources of imported water can be used to recharge the groundwater basins. It is this coordinated operation of the imported sources and the groundwater basins that provides major security for Los Angeles' water supplies.

While major water development and distribution facilities have been nearly completed in California, one area still requires further consideration and resolution -- the transportation of water around, through and in the San Joaquin-Sacramento delta, which includes the consideration of the peripheral canal or some other facility.

Water conservation is another element of good water management. Conservation means really nothing more than wise utilization of a precious resource.

Businesses and individuals have responded well to the calls for water conservation. Business development moratoriums have been adopted in areas like Santa Barbara, which have rejected imported water projects in order to assure a slow growth concept.

Water-intensive industries may of course be more sensitive to increasing water costs. However, water supply and water costs do not yet appear to be significant factors in restricting business developments in the Los Angeles area.

Finally, innovative water utilization programs help significantly in ameliorating the short and long term effects of the water crisis. For example, MWD and Imperial Irrigation District have entered into an agreement whereby MWD will pay for the lining of portions of the All American Canal, which serves Colorado River Water to the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.

The canal lining will save several hundred thousand acre feet of water now being lost through the walls of the present unlined canal, but will still permit service to the water users in the Imperial and Coachella valleys with the same amount of water. The amount of water saved by the lining can then be utilized by MWD in its service area, including the Los Angeles area.

The state's water bank is another example of innovative water utilization programs. The state has purchased the water rights of certain agricultural interests, and then is able to store these water rights in a theoretical bank, which can then re-sell water rights to municipal areas, for example, which have need for additional water during the water crisis.

Finally, pending legislation could help to expedite the water transfers whereby water rights held by agricultural interests can be transferred to municipal interests. This concept of water transfers is likely to be one of the more important and controversial tools for water management by the end of this century.

In short, continuation of well-managed systems of water development and distribution, conservation and innovative programs -- coordinated on a statewide, reginal and local basis -- should protect the business climate in the Los Angeles area well into the foreseeable future. Lessons learned in this water crisis should not be forgotten when the next wet cycle begins.

Burton J. Gindler is a partner with the law firm of Hufstedler, Kaus & Ettinger and is an environmental litigator with expertise in water resource matters and toxic torts. He is a former Deputy Attorney General for the State of California and past president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners for Los Angeles.