Facing one of the most severe droughts in history, California state officials joined local leaders, engineers and scientists in Oxnard, California last week in support of Proposition 1, which upon voter approval, would enact the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014.

Mark Cowin, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, and Janelle Beland, Undersecretary for the California Natural Resources Agency, toured the City of Oxnard’s Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) to discuss with ACEC California members and local officials the importance of a sustainable and reliable water supply and to see a local project designed to improve California’s water efficiency and mitigate the impact of this serious drought.

Proposition 1, the Water Bond, is on the November 4, 2014 ballot and would authorize $7.5 billion in general obligation bonds for state water supply infrastructure projects, such as public water system improvements, surface and groundwater storage, drinking water protection, water recycling and advanced water treatment technology, water supply management and conveyance, wastewater treatment, drought relief, emergency water supplies, and ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration.

The AWPF is a state-of-the-art water infrastructure project, created to provide the City an alternative to imported water. Using a highly developed purification system of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation, the facility is able to produce locally controlled, recycled water that is independent of outside influences, such as the drought.

“The City of Oxnard’s AWPF is exactly the type of project that would be eligible for funding if the Water Bond is approved on November 4^th” said Miranda Patton, a local engineer with MNS Engineers.

ACEC California strongly supports Prop 1 and has made significant contributions to the Governor’s campaign for the water bond. To learn more, visit the campaign website.

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For an in-depth look at California water policy and to read about some of the potential solutions to the water crisis put forward by members of ACEC California, download a copy of ‘California’s Water Crisis‘