The board for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which handles water imports to the Los Angeles region, voted this week to reduce its cost share for the Delta tunnel project.
Metropolitan accounts for the bulk of the spending on the controversial conveyance project. Its share of the cost will drop from 60% to 47%, adding up to a reduction of about $50 million. The total planning costs are estimated to be more than $340 million. Water contractors buying into the project, such as Central Valley irrigation districts, will have to absorb the extra costs.
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Metropolitan has been adopting a more diversified water portfolio in recent years and has implemented more efficient practices that have drastically cut back on their demand for imported water from the North.
