California faces serious funding gaps in five key areas of water management—including safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities; flood protection; management of stormwater and other polluted runoff; aquatic ecosystem management; and integrated water management. These gaps amount to $2 billion to $3 billion a year. But bold efforts by state and local leaders can pave the way to sustainable solutions for California’s critical water resources.

This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund.

Technical Appendices

Appendix A. The Legal Framework

Appendix B. Estimates of Water Sector Expenditures, Revenues, and Needs

Appendix C. State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water

Appendix D. Using the Water Fee Model to Assess Funding Alternatives

Appendix E. Local Ballot Measures to Fund the Water System

Data Sets

Data Set: State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Data Set: Local Water-Funding Ballot Measure

External Resource

Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 65: p 1603, Paying for Water: The Legal Framework