[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15049]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           SAN DIEGO WATER STORAGE AND EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2004

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 9, 2004

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, my San Diego Congressional District suffers 
from the same problem that exists throughout all of the West--a 
diminishing supply of usable water. As populations increase, and 
resources are evermore stretched between agriculture, municipal, and 
environmental uses, we must be smarter with our current water use. To 
address this problem, San Diego has had great success. In recent 
months, we completed a landmark deal with our Imperial County neighbors 
that will provide up to 200,000 acre feet of new water per year for our 
growing city. San Diego County has embarked on a remarkable regional 
seawater desalination program to tap the nearby Pacific Ocean. Water 
efficiency efforts spearheaded by the San Diego County Water Authority 
have resulted in our ability to rely on the same amount of water we 
used in the year 1990--even though our population has swelled by nearly 
20 percent. This is great progress, but we have more to do.
   For this reason, today I am proud to introduce the San Diego Water 
Storage and Efficiency Act of 2004. The legislation helps the 
Sweetwater Authority, which administers much of the water supply in my 
district, make maximum use of the water they manage by enabling them to 
more fully use their existing reservoirs.
  In 1993, the Army Corps of Engineers determined that one of the top 
methods to ensure greater water reliability in San Diego County was to 
connect three isolated reservoirs--the San Vicente, which receives raw, 
imported water, and the Loveland and El Capitan Reservoirs, which 
receive only local runoff and are rarely full. By connecting the three, 
we can ensure that the ability to use available water storage is 
maximized. This legislation authorizes a $3 million federal feasibility 
study of the reservoir intertie project.
  I look forward to working with House Resources Committee Chairman 
Pombo, as well as Water and Power Subcommittee Chairman Calvert, both 
stalwart advocates for our State's water needs, in advancing this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will promote conservation and increase the 
reliability of our regional water supply, and I urge my colleagues' 
thoughtful consideration of the San Diego Water Storage and Efficiency 
Act.

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