Los Angeles, CA – After months of coordination and mediation among stakeholders, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D – Thousand Oaks) is pleased to announce that the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board has unanimously approved the usage of a salinity pipeline to bring recycled water to Oxnard farmers.
All five board members spoke out in favor of approving the permit amendments before voting unanimously to allow the project to move forward. “Over the past few months I have been working directly with the board and agencies in Ventura County and I am pleased to say that we have successfully established common ground, and forged a better path forward. I thank the board and other partners for making this effort a success,” said Assemblymember Irwin in a statement read at the meeting.
Historic water shortages and statewide restrictions have put local farmers under considerable pressure to cut back and find ways to be more efficient.
“Ventura County is special,” remarked Irwin. “The rich soil that has been deposited in our plains and valleys is among the richest in the world. Our climate is one of the few places on earth to allow two growing seasons each year. October is our heaviest watering month of the year, and with the approval of the Board today, construction can begin on the temporary connecting pipes needed to transport this recovered water. Growers will now have increased water security and higher quality water, and when agriculture gains security in their water future the benefits are regional.”
With the permits approved, construction on connecting pipeline will begin this summer. The project is set to be operational and delivering recycled water to growers this fall.