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In debates over water policy in California, a common argument is that if only we managed the systems we’ve already got, there would be plenty of water for everyone. Agricultural and urban use would not have to be rationed, taxpayers and ratepayers would not have to be unnecessarily burdened, and we wouldn’t have to wait years (ok, decades) for new water projects to navigate the gauntlet of bureaucracy and litigation.

This is a compelling argument, and perhaps we should just let the delta pumps run a bit more while engaging in ultra cost-effective projects, such as dredging the delta and constructing innovative new ways to safely withdraw millions of acre feet from the delta during winter storms. But if Californians want to achieve permanent water abundance, how we manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta should not be our only option, but instead be the centerpiece in a much broader vision.

Much of Southern California was hit with significant rain Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The brunt of the precipitation was felt Tuesday night, according to forecasters with the National Weather Service, who also said steady rain would be felt Wednesday morning. The storm system, described by NWS as “potent,” exited the region earlier than anticipated, but there is still rainfall in the forecast.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California proposed biennial budget contemplates a 9.5% increase in its rates for the next two years that it charges its 26 agencies. This is an increase from 8.5% increase over the last two years.

MWD is also proposing to maintain its current property tax rate at 0.007% on the Assessed Value of the properties located in its 5,200 square mile service territory. For a $1 million residence, the tax is $70. This tax is designed to raise $404 million for the 2027 fiscal year. In the last budget cycle, this property tax was doubled.

Deshmukh took over last month as general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a sprawling, aging system that pipes water hundreds of miles to 19 million people in Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego.

Roughly 20 percent of Met’s water comes from the dwindling Colorado River, over which negotiators from seven Western states are haggling in a race to strike a new deal before water-sharing rules expire at the end of the year.

California doesn’t have a water scarcity problem. It has a distribution problem, according to Nícola Ulibarrí, whose new research is reshaping how policymakers think about one of the state’s most pressing challenges.

In a report commissioned by UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab, Ulibarrí argues that California’s existing water infrastructure already collects enough water to sustain all state residents. The real crisis, says the UC Irvine associate professor of urban planning and public policy, is that thousands of Californians remain disconnected from that abundant supply.