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Gov. Gavin Newsom outlines seven years of water investments, urges faster permitting and Delta progress at ACWA
Summary
At the ACWA Aqua Mainstage, Gov. Gavin Newsom said California has invested roughly $11 billion in water infrastructure over seven years, highlighted steps to expand safe drinking water and habitat protections, and urged faster permitting and completion of Delta conveyance to capture water during atmospheric events.
Gov. Gavin Newsom onstage at the ACWA Aqua Mainstage credited seven years of state policy for sustained investment in California’s water systems and urged regulators and local agencies to accelerate permitting and finish Delta conveyance work.
"We signed shortly thereafter an executive order what ultimately led to a safe, clean drinking act that generates a $130,000,000 a year to address that issue," Newsom said, describing a 2019 field visit that he said revealed 1,600,000 Californians without access to safe drinking water.
Newsom framed the state’s approach as a multi‑year portfolio. He said the 2020 water portfolio included 142 action items spanning groundwater management, recycling, storage and permitting reform, and that in 2022 the state backed voluntary agreements — branded "Healthy Rivers, Healthy Landscapes" — with $1,100,000,000 and commitments that set aside 45,000 acres of fish habitat.
"We finally got serious about the Delta conveyance," he said, recounting work that moved from a twin‑tunnel proposal to a single‑tunnel design, and noting an environmental impact report, an incidental take permit and $200,000,000 set aside for community benefits tied to construction. Newsom also credited contributions from local water agencies, saying MET provided $141,000,000 to help with permitting and planning.
He highlighted 2024 milestones he said the state met: about 1,500 projects completed, roughly $1,050,000,000 invested, approximately 3,000,000 acre‑feet of storage advanced, and upgrades or compliance for hundreds of local systems that, he said, resulted in over 1,000,000 more Californians gaining access to safe drinking water.
Newsom pointed to the Klamath dam removal as a large restoration success and cited the Salton Sea conservancy — about 9,400 acres, he said, with $500,000,000 invested — and a salmon strategy that he said included 21 new hatchery investments.
The governor closed by urging continued partnership and accountability: "We've got to get that done, and we've gotta finish the job," he said, calling on the water board, the legislature and local agencies to move faster on implementation and permitting reforms.
Wade Crowfoot, California’s natural resources secretary, introduced Newsom and framed the governor’s engagement as the catalyst for the administration’s water resilience portfolio and subsequent actions. A moderator opened the session and invited the two leaders to the stage.
The speech contained a mix of historical recounting, policy updates and numeric targets. Newsom emphasized completed and planned investments, ongoing work on Delta conveyance and voluntary agreements, and the need to accelerate permitting to capture water during extreme weather events. He did not announce new legislation or a formal vote at the event.
