The California WaterFix Project obtained an approval from the state’s biggest water agency, paving the way to improving its old infrastructure that delivers water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Southern California.

On Tuesday, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California agreed to provide $10.8 billion funding for the construction of the project.

In a statement, Governor Jerry Brown said,“This is a historic decision that is good for California – our people, our farms and our natural environment.” Yesterday, the governor encouraged the Board members of the water agency to support the WaterFix Project without delay.

The California WaterFix Project is a smart solution to modernize the state’s aging water system. It covers five areas including environmental protection, increased efficiency, reduced risk from earth quake & climate change, system upgrade & new technology, and water security.

The project will create 118, 772 new construction jobs and $7 billion in employee compensation. It will also protect 980,722 statewide jobs.

WaterFix Project will cost Souther California households $4.80 a month

MWD of Southern California is the biggest investor in the WaterFix Project. The water agency’s investment will cost households around $4.80 a month on average. That amount will decline as the water agency recovers some of its investment from the agricultural sector following the completion of the project.

Randy Record, the chairman of MWD of Southern California, said that state finally have a solution to the problems of the Delta Bay. Those problems put the water supply for Southern California at risk.

According to Mr. Record, “We simply could not jeopardize the opportunity to move this long-sought and much-needed project forward.”

On the other hand, the water agency’s General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, commented that helping finance the entire project is better.

According to him, building the WaterFix Project all at once allows them to “capture the high flows of big storms” due to climate change. It also enables them to address the reverse flows that disrupt the ecology of the Delta Bay.

Additionally, Kightlinger said. “We’ll have more flexibility to operate the water delivery system. This investment is just one part of ensuring Southern California and its $1.3 trillion economy has a reliable water supply in the age of climate change.”

Furthermore, he emphasized,“We need a diverse portfolio, including water recycling, storm-water capture, and increased conservation. We will continue to work hard and invest in those projects.”