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Laguna Beach mayor says upcoming Fountain Valley vote could unlock groundwater well supplying two-thirds of city’s water
Summary
Mayor Alex Renaghi said Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach County Water District are pursuing an agreement with Fountain Valley and Newport Beach to build a well on purchased land that could provide about two-thirds of Laguna Beach’s water and lower repair costs by about $1 million annually. Fountain Valley is scheduled to consider the deal Nov. 4,
Mayor Alex Renaghi said Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach County Water District expect Fountain Valley and Newport Beach to consider agreements this month that would allow Laguna Beach to build a well on land the city purchased in Fountain Valley to access a groundwater basin.
Renaghi said Fountain Valley is scheduled to consider the agreement on Nov. 4 and that Newport Beach will consider a related item at a separate meeting. "We have on November 4, the Fountain Valley City Council is supposed to consider an agreement," Renaghi said. He said the plan is to follow those council actions with a Laguna Beach signing ceremony at Crystal Cove involving Mayor Stapleton and Renaghi.
Renaghi described the well as a major supply addition that could provide roughly two-thirds of the city's water. He said the arrangement would lower repair costs by about $1 million a year. He also recounted the town's 1925 water-rights history and the broader context that California water rights persist even when access changes due to saltwater intrusion.
The interview did not include a copy of the draft agreement, specific construction timelines, the well siting plan, or detailed environmental review steps. Renaghi said staff have reviewed a draft and that elected bodies in Fountain Valley and Newport Beach will need to act before Laguna Beach finalizes its agreement.
