[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMENDING THE WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 18, 2009

  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
commend the Water Replenishment District of Southern California on the 
occasion of its 50th anniversary.
  The Water Replenishment District of Southern California was created 
by the voters of California on November 17, 1959.
  The successful election and creation of the Water Replenishment 
District was the culmination of a 17-year effort by groundwater 
producers in the Central and West Coast Basins to devise a system to 
finance and manage the restoration of dangerously depleted basins, 
retard and reverse the intrusion of sea water, institute a program of 
annual replenishment, and adjudicate and protect the rights of 
groundwater producers.
  For five decades, the Water Replenishment District of Southern 
California has pursued this mission, assuring the continued beneficial 
use of the basins for groundwater production.
  The programs and projects of the Water Replenishment District have 
included the pioneering use of recycled water and the capture and use 
of storm water for replenishment, multiple groundwater contamination 
cleanup projects in the Central Basin, desalination of brackish water 
in the West Coast Basin, and the supply of water to the sea water 
barrier wells in both basins. These successful programs have resulted 
in the steady reduction of reliance on the expensive and uncertain 
supply of imported water and a steady increase in the use of locally-
developed water.
  The goal of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California 
is to eliminate the use of imported water for replenishment by 2015. On 
the occasion of its 50th anniversary, I want to commend the district 
for a job well done and to recognize the crucial role the Water 
Replenishment district plays in the daily lives of Southern California 
residents.

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