Got Water? Two Counties Just Made Sure They Will

San Diego and Riverside County water agencies seal a 21-year supply pact, using existing infrastructure to stabilize costs for four million people

14 Apr 2026

Two Southern California water agencies have struck a 21-year supply agreement that could reshape how the region manages water affordability and drought resilience for years to come.

The San Diego County Water Authority and Eastern Municipal Water District finalized the deal on April 9, committing the Water Authority to deliver 10,000 acre-feet annually to Eastern Municipal's service area in Riverside County. It is the second major inter-agency agreement the Water Authority has secured this year, following a near-identical deal with Western Municipal Water District in March. Together, the two pacts cover a combined service population of more than four million people across San Diego and Riverside counties.

The financial terms are straightforward. Eastern Municipal will pre-purchase 30,000 acre-feet of emergency supply for $19 million, while the Water Authority stands to generate roughly $74 million in new revenue over the first five years. That income will help stabilize wholesale rates for San Diego County customers, who have faced some of the steepest utility cost increases in California in recent years.

What sets this deal apart is how the water actually moves. Deliveries will run through existing pipelines operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, bypassing the need for new construction, new treatment plants, or new permitting timelines. That infrastructure-sharing approach signals a growing consensus among California water managers: get more out of what already exists before spending billions on what does not.

The agreement was made possible by the resolution of a 15-year legal dispute between the Water Authority and Metropolitan last year, which opened the door to a new era of inter-agency collaboration. Eastern Municipal gains a reliable long-term source without the capital burden of new infrastructure. The Water Authority converts surplus supply into stable revenue rather than leaving contracted water sitting idle.

With climate variability intensifying and costs continuing to climb, regional partnerships like this offer a practical and replicable template for water security across the American West.