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An agreement announced late last week in San Diego could be the start of a new kind of water solution for Las Vegas and other cities in the desert Southwest.

A desalination plant in San Diego County is working, but it’s only running at about half-capacity because the process is expensive. The “memorandum of understanding” signed last week would start the exploration of an interstate water transfer and exchange pilot program.

With desert cities like Phoenix and Tucson bracing for their allotments of Colorado River water to be slashed dramatically, San Diego County’s water agency could for the first time sell some of its water to other states by drawing on its ample supplies from the nation’s largest desalination plant.

The San Diego County Water Authority’s board unanimously approved an initial agreement last week to consider selling some of its water to Arizona and Nevada, where cities that depend on the over-tapped Colorado River are expected to face substantial cuts in water supplies.

The Colorado River may be running dry, but the Pacific Ocean is not — and on Thursday, San Diego took a first formal step to turn that into a business opportunity.

The San Diego County Water Authority voted to sign a memorandum of understanding with federal, Arizona and Nevada water managers to explore selling desalinated Pacific Ocean water across state lines. The pilot, if formalized, would turn ultra-expensive water and underused capacity at the Western Hemisphere’s largest desalination plant, in Carlsbad, into a resource for fast-growing neighboring states as they absorb potentially-economy-shattering cuts on the Colorado River.

Making sure a large urban region like San Diego County has enough water is important, to put it mildly. Over the last couple of decades, local water agencies, led by the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), have put a lot of effort and a great deal of money into making sure we have a safe, resilient, reliable supply.

A new agreement approved by the Water Authority board on Thursday could lead to local ratepayers getting some of those investment dollars back. The agency described it as a landmark agreement.

As the cost of living rises from gasoline to groceries, some South Bay residents say even small savings can make a difference.

Laura and Roberto Leggs of Chula Vista recently enrolled in the Sweetwater Authority’s Water Affordability Program, which provides monthly bill credits to income-eligible customers and seniors. The couple said the savings have helped ease the strain of higher prices for essentials, like gas, food and medication.