Californians for Water Security Busts the Myths and Misinformation about The Delta Conveyance Project
June 12, 2025
Broad support for Delta Conveyance Project Streamlining Bill Continues to Grow
SACRAMENTO – As support for Governor Newsom’s Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) streamlining bill continues to grow—including strong backing from a coalition of more than 120 labor, business, environmental, and social justice groups—misinformation and myths about the project continue to circulate. Today, Californians for Water Security (CWS) is correcting the record to help Californians understand why modernizing the State Water Project is critical to the state’s water future.
MYTH: The Delta Conveyance Project is not supported by water users.
FACT: 18 water agencies serving more than half the state’s population have now voted in support of advancing the Delta Conveyance Project. Further, polling by Californians for Water Security found that 76 percent of California voters support the project.
MYTH: The Trailer Budget Bill is skirting the appropriate policy process.
FACT: The Delta Conveyance Project has been studied for 40+ years. It has been refined, redesigned and right sized to address community concerns and reduce environmental impacts. Each year of delay increases project costs by $600 million due to inflation. California ratepayers deserve better. Modernizing the State Water Project is time critical and must not be delayed by endless opposition and litigation.
MYTH: State taxpayers will be negatively affected.
FACT: No, the project would be funded only by public water agencies in the Bay Area, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California that receive water from the State Water Project and have signed onto the project, not through the state’s General Fund and not by state taxpayers.
MYTH: This proposal will undermine environmental review and remove critical environmental protections.
FACT: This proposal does not change the kind of environmental review required for state agencies to approve the project, nor undermine or sidestep any regulatory proceeding. The project has already completed environmental review under CEQA, which requires public participation and response to public comment. In addition, no environmental protections are removed in this proposal and regulatory processes at the Water Board and Delta Stewardship Council remain in place.
MYTH: The Trailer Budget Bill takes away Californians’ right to be heard.
FACT: The Governor’s proposal does not interfere in the ability of Californians to participate in the State Water Board and Delta Stewardship Council’s public hearings on the project. The project has already completed environmental review under CEQA, which requires extensive public participation and response to public comment.
The facts are clear: without the Delta Conveyance Project, California faces a future of greater water insecurity, higher costs, and increased risk to communities, businesses, and farms across the state. The Governor’s budget trailer bill offers a smart, balanced solution—cutting unnecessary red tape, protecting environmental safeguards, and ensuring that critical projects like the DCP can move forward efficiently. By advancing this legislation, California can secure a more affordable, reliable, and climate-resilient water future.
For more facts about the Delta Conveyance Project and the coalition’s efforts to secure California’s water future, visit: www.WaterSecurityCA.com
About Californians for Water Security
CWS is a growing coalition of more than 12,000 California citizens and more than 80 organizations representing business leaders, labor, family farmers, local governments, water experts, infrastructure groups, taxpayer associations, and others who support the plan to fix California’s broken water distribution system. The coalition is waging an active advertising, grassroots lobbying, social media and public advocacy campaign to support this important project to fix our aging water distribution infrastructure and improve water reliability and security throughout the state.
For more information on Californians for Water Security, visit: www.watersecurityca.com