SOLANO COUNTY, Calif. — California Forever released an initial review Tuesday about how they could supply their proposed community with water — just not from Lake Berryessa or the Solano Irrigation District.
Though the state has started looking into possibly decreasing the amount of water that can be held in reservoirs in the Sacramento and Delta regions, California Forever estimates there’s currently enough water on land they own to serve 100,000 people.
The initial review was done by: EKI Environment & Water, an environmental engineering service provider; Best Best, & Krieger, a law firm focused on California water law and ownership; and Holland & Knight, another law firm focused on water laws.
The press release and "initial review" were conducted by "leading industry experts" who say 100,000 residents would require roughly 12,600 acre-feet of water per year (AFY) to function as proposed on the ballot.
AFY is a unit to measure water on a larger scale. One acre-foot is enough water to cover an acre of land in water one foot deep, which works out to roughly 325,851 gallons per acre-foot.
Cary Keaten, the General Manager of the Solano Irrigation District, says 100,000 people have a "pretty substantial consumption" of water and California Forever isn't getting it from them.
California Forever estimates the average person living in the proposed community will consume "approximately 60 gallons of water per day (0.067 AFY per person), which is about 40% less than Solano County’s (2020) average."
It does not explain what factors they include to get that number besides “based on modern water efficiency techniques” though renderings of the proposed plan show there are no personal yards or lawns to maintain, which could contribute to the decreased usage.
The fight for water in this community is ongoing since the public announcement of the plan. In November 2023, the Solano County Water Agency rejected continuing to work with California Forever, citing a lack of information about the project then.
Water in California is a complicated and controversial topic, especially when it comes to who technically owns what.
California Forever says its water team estimates this water can “physically and legally be used to serve the planned new community” due to being on property it now owns.
The plan is to shift water being used for agriculture on this land to instead be used for the new community. In theory, this would not worsen the current Solano County water situation, something California Forever officials say they’re focused on avoiding.
Keaten says if the land with water rights is within Solano Irrigation District, California Forever can't just move it without going through a process and permissions.
"They have a right to take water and use it on that property limit, that's all the right they have. They do not have the right to take it elsewhere," he said. "They just don't have that right."
However, Keaten says they may be able to do just that with any land with North Delta Agency Water entitlements.
Since the plan is to create a community that can hold up to 400,000 people within it, California Forever says the water plans will adjust with population and they will also purchase water from out of the county.
Keaten says California Forever, like anyone else doing something similar with housing and communities, must submit a 20-year Water Supply Assessment to ensure there truly is enough water for the plan.
He says because water allocations change every year, due to rain totals constantly changing, it's better to have a mix of surface and ground water to be more insured with what you actually can use.
Another way California Forever anticipates to get water is by creating a water recycling plant which they say will create a “new, highly reliable water supply.” They’re clear in the release that the recycled water would not be used for drinking, laundry, showering, or any other potable uses and instead be used for agriculture on farms and streetscapes, parks and more.
Keaton says while this is a costly endeavor, it can certainly be useful for a variety of uses if people are alright with using "waste water."
A full Environmental Impact Report and Water Supply Assessment are estimated to be completed by 2025 if the ballot proposal passes, California Forever says.
