Whitman took an aerial tour that included a major swath of the 700-square mile Delta, which supplies water to more than 23 million Californians and millions of acres of the nation's most productive farmland. Whitman was briefed by stakeholders, including state and local water resource managers and officials representing urban and agricultural water customers. She visited the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Station near Tracy, which marks the beginning of the 444-mile California Aqueduct, the central artery of the State Water Project that delivers water to the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
Whitman said today's tour only reinforced her firm resolve to fix the state's water delivery system, because without a safe, reliable supply of water California cannot ever hope to achieve sustained economic renewal. Whitman said the fix must include the water bond and, until the voters decide, California must move expeditiously to solve the water crisis, including using new technology, recycling and conservation.
"Since the earliest days of this campaign for governor, I have made fixing our state water woes one of my top priorities. For far too long, state leaders have ignored our crumbling water supply system that was built for a population half of California's size,'' Whitman said. "The partisan politicking must stop, the buck will stop with me. Today I vow, if elected, to create a workable plan to make real fixes by increasing storage, constructing an alternative conveyance system, restoring the Delta's fragile ecosystem and encouraging all Californians to conserve our most precious resource."
Added Whitman, "Without a safe, affordable supply of water, California can never rebuild its economy nor will residents and business owners ever feel secure about a prosperous future."
Whitman's plan for solving the state's water woes targets:
- The construction of additional storage facilities, above and below-ground, to ensure enough reserves in times of inadequate rainfall and runoff.
- A comprehensive Delta renewal plan that includes an alternative conveyance system to help relieve pressure on the Delta's fragile ecosystem and safeguard California's water supply.
- An agreement that will create the most efficient and effective governance system for the Delta.
- A renewed and sustained effort to educate all Californians, urban and rural, about conservation efforts necessary to retain our quality of life.
- The development and use of new technologies, including recycling and water efficiency measures, to reduce Californians' water consumption.
For more information, please visit www.megsplan.com.
Contact:
Sarah Pompei
408.457.1369
Communications@MegWhitman.com