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Amid drought and water scarcity concerns, San Diego faces a unique problem: too much water. The solution? The San Diego County Water Authority is going to sell some of its water to Western Municipal Water District, which serves nearly 1 million people.

Over the next 21 years, the water authority will transfer at least 10,000 acre-feet of water per year, a deal that will be worth about $100 million over the first five years. An additional $74 million in new revenue will be generated by water sold to the Eastern Municipal Water District of Southern California.

In 2029, a new law will ban watering of “nonfunctional turf” with potable water. What is nonfunctional turf, and must your HOA prepare to remove it?

In 2023, the Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1572 and created Water Code Section 10608.14, applicable to properties including common interest developments. This new statute requires various property owners, including HOAs, to either remove nonfunctional turf or begin irrigating it with reclaimed water. HOAs must comply before 2029. Since most HOAs do not have reclaimed water readily available to them without great expense, many HOAs are erroneously assuming they must remove grass areas not regularly used by residents.

As most Western communities expect to grapple with water shortages this summer and fall, one is looking to share its unlikely surplus.

San Diego County in California spent nearly $1 billion on a desalination plant after a 1990s drought left it with scarce supply. Now, with the seawater-to-tap water plant running at just one-third of capacity, its water utility is shopping around deals to sell its water across the West.

A water transfer agreement for the sale of San Diego County Water Authority supply to the Eastern Municipal Water District was approved by both the EMWD and the SDCWA boards.The EMWD board approved the agreement on a 5-0 vote April 1. The CWA board unanimously approved the transfer April 9. Eastern will purchase a minimum of 10,000 acre-feet of water annually from the CWA.

“This is a historic agreement for our region. It enhances water supply reliability for Eastern, for our growing community. It’s an incredibly effective way to manage water resources for Southern California,” said EMWD general manager Joe Mouawad.“This agreement’s fabulous. It just shows we’re here to do what’s in the best interests of our ratepayers,” said EWMD board president Stephen Corona.

The San Diego County Water Authority has finalized two long-term water supply agreements with neighboring water districts, securing a potential revenue stream of $660 million and, it says, establishing a new model for regional water cooperation in Southern California.

The SDCWA, a wholesale water provider with no direct retail customers, sells water to 22 member agencies, including cities, special districts and the 125,000-acre Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, primarily located in northern San Diego County.