Help us #StopTheDeltaTunnel by blocking another $141.6 million of funding!
The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has 26 member agencies that distribute water from MWD, the wholesaler. These member agencies vary in size, socioeconomic status, makeup, appointee vs elected, political leanings, and needs. They all have delegate(s) to MWD, although each has varying weight to their vote. Every member agency has a say in the vote on the next round of funding for the Delta Tunnel at MWD.
This December, MWD - the biggest funder of the Delta Tunnel - will be voting on whether to contribute $141.6 million towards the next phase of planning and permitting for the Delta Tunnel. One way to impact them is by reaching out to their member agencies and letting them know that the public does NOT want this project!
Sign up now to tell MWD member agencies to vote NO on the Delta Tunnel!
MWD is made up of 26 member agencies who tell their delegates to MWD how to vote. We’re not asking you to contact all 26 agencies, but a select few in the days leading up to the vote. Tell them to tell their delegates to vote NO! The MWD Board funding votes would incur an additional 3% increase to water rates for MWD customers through 2027, after MWD already doubled property taxes and increased both water rates and surcharges last spring. Then in 2027, MWD will be responsible for at least 47.2% of the project costs- a whopping $9.5 billion total- obligating ratepayers to decades of higher water bills without new water by investing millions in planning for the destructive project.
Here is a link to the upcoming member agency meetings we would like you to attend. The agendas come out 72 hours before the meeting, so we will update them accordingly. The agency meetings are listed below:
- Compton City Council Meeting (Tuesday, November 26 @ 5:30pm)
- Central Basin Municipal Water District (Monday, December 2 @ 10am)
- San Fernando City Council (Monday, December 2 @ 6pm)
- Calleguas Municipal Water District (Wednesday, December 4 @ 4pm)
Call in to as many meetings as you can, or whatever accommodates your schedule. Talking points are located here and when you RSVP.
Ratepayers will see higher water bills and property taxes with no guarantee of a sustainable water supply if MWD continues to spend millions of dollars on this project. In fact, given the onset of climate change, the tunnel may never produce enough water to pay for itself. The construction and operation of the tunnel will have rippling impacts on fish populations, local Delta economies, human health, and Indigenous cultural heritage.
We need your help to stop this project now during this critical vote. Tell MWD member agencies not to waste any more money on the Delta Tunnel project. Sign up now to tell MWD member agencies to vote NO on the Delta Tunnel!
Finally, join our Facebook group, Stop the Delta Tunnel, to stay up-to-date on the progress against the tunnel.
If you have questions, please contact Caty Wagner, Water Campaign Manager, at caty.wagner@sierraclub.org.
Thank you for supporting water sustainability in California!
PS- please sign our petition to MWD if you haven’t done so already!
