Presenter says Arroyo Grande will ask voters to allow purchase of state water

A presenter for Arroyo Grande City said the City Council will place a measure on the November ballot asking voters to expand the city's ability to purchase state water to supplement local supplies.

The presenter framed the change as a resilience measure, saying Arroyo Grande City is "on 100% local water" and that diversifying the portfolio would "help us save our local resources and add flexibility for the years ahead." The presenter identified the city's primary local supplies as groundwater from the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin and the Pismo Formation, and surface water from Lopez Lake.

The presenter also noted that state water is already part of the wider regional delivery system. "The City of Arroyo Grande is a part of a regional water delivery system that already transports a blend of Lopez Lake and state water to our neighbors in Pismo Beach and Oceano," the presenter said, identifying Pismo Beach and Oceano as fellow members of Zone 3.

Under current rules described in the remarks, Arroyo Grande City may purchase state water only during a local water emergency. The measure the City Council plans to place on the November ballot would ask voters to expand the city's authority to buy state water "when needed," according to the presenter. No mover, second, or formal council vote on the measure was recorded in the transcript.

The presenter said that if voters approve the measure and the city opts in, no major upgrades or new connections would be required because the state water and the city's system already share infrastructure.

The presentation closed by emphasizing local conservation and flexibility as the principal benefits of allowing state water purchases outside of emergency circumstances. The City Council's placement of the measure on the November ballot is the next procedural step noted in the remarks.