Laguna Beach and Newport Beach officials announced a partnership to develop groundwater wells on property Laguna Beach bought in Fountain Valley in 2024, a project they say will increase local water reliability and reduce dependence on imported supplies.

Mayor Alex (surname not specified) of Laguna Beach said the city historically relied on imported water after seawater breached its basin in the 1940s and that the 2024 land purchase in Fountain Valley was intended to allow Laguna to “exercise these rights” to local groundwater. “What’s more important than water? Because there really is nothing more important than water,” he said.

Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton said Newport is already largely self-supplied and that connecting the new well site would move the city from roughly 85% to 100% local groundwater supply. Mark Vakulyevic, Newport Beach’s director of utilities, described the technical plan: drilling two wells on or near the Laguna-owned property, then pumping groundwater about seven miles to Newport Beach facilities, onward to Big Canyon Reservoir and via a 30-inch pipeline into Laguna Beach.

Officials said the arrangement is structured as a 50/50 investment between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, with Fountain Valley serving as the host agency. Alex said Fountain Valley’s city council approved the proposal at a late-night meeting the prior Tuesday, and a signing ceremony was scheduled for Thursday morning at Crystal Cove.

Speakers framed the project as part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on imported water overseen by the Metropolitan Water District, which they said has underinvested in infrastructure and will drive future rate increases for customers dependent on imported supplies. Laguna officials cited long-standing groundwater rights that date back to the 1920s and said the well project, together with other local options (including a desalination effort mentioned during the conversation), are intended to improve long-term resilience.

City staff were credited for negotiating the agreements and shepherding the approvals. Officials said the project still requires construction, drilling and integration into existing pipeline infrastructure; no construction timelines, final cost breakdowns or funding sources were specified in the discussion.

The announcement comes as both cities seek greater local control over water supply and to avoid future service and rate disruptions associated with imported water, officials said.