For the 30th consecutive year, the San Diego County Water Authority earned the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) — along with a special commendation for its Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget.

GFOA’s award is the highest recognition in governmental budgeting, while the Water Authority’s CIP is critical to maintaining the region’s liquid lifelines.

“This recognition proves that the attention to detail, commitment to transparency and focus on affordability the Water Authority puts into its budget process make the agency a national leader in public finance,” said Director of Finance Lisa Marie Harris.  “Kudos to our staff and our Board for all the effort that to ensure we provide reliable water at the lowest possible cost.”

Over the years, GFOA Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for governments throughout North America, reflecting the commitment of the governing boards and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.

With a two-year budget of over $1.9 billion, the Water Authority’s finance team is entrusted with the fiscal health of an agency responsible for delivering safe and reliable water to 3.3 million residents across the region. More than 90 percent of the budget is for water purchases and treatment, capital improvement and debt service.

While the era of expansive infrastructure projects is over for the Water Authority, the agency continues to invest in CIP projects that maintain its aging infrastructure.   The agency operates 308 miles of large-diameter pipelines, 1,600 structures and more than 100 flow-control facilities, most of which are decades old.