Simi Valley council authorizes advocacy for state Delta Conveyance Project

The Simi Valley City Council authorized two methods of advocacy — sending a letter of support and designating a council representative to join regional partners in Sacramento — for the Delta Conveyance Project and related governor’s proposed trailer bill.

Deputy City Manager Heather Semagace told the council the request came from Calleguas Municipal Water District and regional partners coordinating legislative outreach scheduled for Wednesday, June 11. The trailer bill would, according to staff, streamline certain pre‑construction activities for the Delta Conveyance Project by providing the Department of Water Resources tools to coordinate utility work, settle land acquisitions and issue bonds on behalf of participating agencies while still upholding environmental protections.

Semagace said the state water project that the tunnel would support supplies water to more than 27 million Californians and that local water reliability matters to Simi Valley because Calleguas serves roughly 660,000 county residents and Simi Valley’s own Waterworks District No. 8.

Council member Littster described technical aspects of the project and timeline, calling it a long‑term infrastructure undertaking: “What is now being initially proposed is a 36‑foot diameter tunnel that is a 100 feet below ground, running for 45 miles from north to south under the delta,” he said, and noted that construction would be measured in decades, not months.

Mayor Pro Tem Judge moved the combined advocacy approach — letter plus sending a council representative — and the motion passed unanimously. Council member Littster volunteered to represent the city and said he is already engaged with regional water agency discussions and is willing to go to Sacramento with Calleguas’ delegation.