Martin Adams

2015 CA Summit - Water: Protecting California’s Lifeline

Kevin Klowden, Martin Adams, Paula Landis, Carlos Riva, Kelly Sanders, Lester Snow

Facing its driest five-year period in five centuries, California is mobilizing $7.4 billion from Proposition 1 to modernize aging infrastructure and reduce reliance on collapsing snowpack while addressing seismic risks to its water conveyance systems. State agencies and private entities are implementing diverse strategies ranging from the Carlsbad desalination plant to direct potable reuse, though these investments must navigate complex energy dependencies and insufficient groundwater metering. Ultimately, the state is transitioning from a 100-year-old management philosophy to a sustainable model that integrates local self-reliance, market mechanisms, and aggressive conservation to ensure water security for its 300,000 residents currently lacking safe drinking water.