Even in San Diego, it’s typical to get some rain in the winter. Except this year, the San Diego County Water Authority said it’s the third driest start to the rainy season in 150 years.
Hear from Water Authority Senior Water Resources Specialist Efren Lopez about where San Diego’s water supply stands during this very dry start to the 2025 Water Year.
San Diego County has made great strides to safeguard itself against California’s recurring drought cycle. For example, in 1991, 95% of our water was imported by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). By 2023, only 14% of our water was imported by the MWD. Diversification efforts included building the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination plant in Carlsbad, increased conservation, an agreement to import water from the Imperial Irrigation District, and other measures. By 2045, it’s projected that only 8% of our water will be imported by the MWD.
But it’s a different story statewide. Most of our largest dams and reservoirs were built between 1945 and 1968, when our population was less than half its current size. Voter approval of a $7.5 billion water bond in 2014 has resulted in few, if any new projects. For more than 50 years, California has failed to make necessary investments in water infrastructure.
While rain is usually a very welcome sight for officials who oversee the City of San Diego’s drinking water supply, Monday’s storm will, at least in part, not provide its usual benefits. That’s because the Lake Hodges Dam is in such bad shape, it’s not capable of holding its regular supply of water, meaning much of the runoff from this storm may have to be released.
