Coachella Valley Water District Adopts Resolution Endorsing Prop 4

COACHELLA, CA — The Coachella Valley Water District Tuesday endorsed Proposition 4, a state ballot initiative that would authorize $10 billion in debt to spend on environmental and climate projects.

Various environmental and advocacy groups encouraged the state legislature to pass SB 867 in July, which placed Proposition 4 on the upcoming November ballot.

According to CVWD's board, contemporary water and climate problems necessitate these investments to "support reliable infrastructure, clean water and sustainable groundwater supplies."

The board pointed to the Salton Sea and eastern Coachella Valley as two areas that could be most positively impacted.

Opponents of Proposition 4 — officially known as the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 — argue that a taxpayer-shifted burden could take a while to pay off.

According to the UCLA School of Law's Sabrina Ashjian, the bonds would cost the state $650 million per year over three decades when interest is taken into account. Some advocates against the measure claim the state's budget deficit could grow worse over time.

The amount of money authorized by the initiative is already a compromise for some California politicians. State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and state Senator Ben Allen both campaigned for separate climate bonds that would have cost more than $15 billion, according to the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper The Hill.

Among the conditions of Proposition 4 is a clause necessitating that 40% of total funds should be applied to "projects delivering meaningful and direct benefits to vulnerable populations or disadvantaged communities."

At least 10% is required to be allocated to severely underprivileged communities.

Within Ashjian's estimate of $3.8 billion of potential funding for drinking water and groundwater issues, the bond would include $610 million toward a series of water quality projects, such as those aimed at reducing chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium) in drinking water.

Other projects would more directly impact regions in Riverside County. If Proposition 4 passes, $170 million would go toward the Salton Sea Management Program 10-year Plan, according to the district, which aims to improve air quality and related public health benefits.

The district also touted a potential $10 million investment to establish either the Salton Sea Conservancy or the Salton Sea Authority. The ballot measure also provides funding for "agricultural conservation and climate resiliency" in farmland areas, according to the district.

"A strong and equitable climate bond on the November ballot gives voters a chance to double down on climate action," said Climate Bond Now, a coalition of approximately 200 environmental and sustainable agriculture organizations. "(Proposition 4 would) protect our health, lives, and jobs."

—City News Service