FOR: Water Subcommittee Meeting [January 24, 2024]
TO: Honorable Water Subcommittee Members
FROM: Stephen Dopudja, P.E., Interim Utilities Manager
Toyasha Sebbag, Assistant to the City Manager
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Request that the Water Subcommittee provide feedback on the City of Rialto and Rialto Utility Authority Board Issuing a Notice of Intent Letter to the County of San Bernardino of Rialto's Interest to Facilitate the Delivery of Water from the Cadiz Water Project to Disadvantaged Communities (25,000 Acre-Feet).
(ACTION)
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BACKGROUND:
This item was placed on the Agenda for discussion and feedback by a member of the Water Subcommittee.
On November 1, 2023, Cadiz, Inc. entered into a binding agreement with San Bernardino County, Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), and Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company (FGMWC) to provide priority rights to water supply from the Cadiz Water Conservation and Storage Project (Cadiz Project) to public water systems serving San Bernardino County communities.
Founded in 1983, Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI) is a California water solutions company that describes itself as dedicated to providing access to clean, reliable, and affordable water for people through a unique combination of water supply, storage, pipeline, and treatment solutions with 45,000 acres of land in California, 2.5 million acre-feet of water supply, 220 miles of pipeline assets, and state that they have the most cost-effective water treatment technology in the industry.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
On October 1, 2012 (Item No. 1), the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors (SBC Board) adopted Resolution No. 2012-176 and approved the Cadiz Project's Groundwater Management, Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (Plan). The SBC Board provided in the MOU that public water systems within the SBC Board area could realize two significant benefits:
1. A priority right of up to 20% of the Project's 50,000 acre-feet o...
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