Opinion: Why the region’s agricultural water rate is good for everyone

Citrus trees on a farm in San Diego County Photo courtesy of the San Diego County Water Authority As San Diego County continues to handle the complex challenges of water affordability and supply reliability the Permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate Project or PSAWR offers a smart equitable method that economically benefits the entire region not just farmers Particular water agencies have urged What s in it for us especially those who don t serve farmers directly It s a fair question But the answer is clear PSAWR helps stabilize water rates across the region preserve local jobs protect our market system and sustain the atmosphere of San Diego County Let s start with the basics PSAWR is a voluntary scheme run by the San Diego County Water Authority in various forms for various years It offers farmers who opt into the venture a lower-cost water supply even though water costs here remain higher than in numerous parts of the West In exchange the effort has required farmers to give up access to selected water reliability that urban customers depend on That might sound like a good deal just for farmers but the benefits go far beyond agriculture PSAWR helps keep farmers in business which helps keep our water system more affordable for everyone If the PSAWR activity is eliminated agricultural water sales will continue to plummet and that will force everyone else in San Diego County to pay higher water bills The reason is the costs for the infrastructure of our water system are largely fixed so when large water users disappear that means higher costs for everyone else to cover the mortgage on our massive water restoration and delivery system Agricultural water sales are critical for generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue every budget cycle Put absolutely every lost acre of farmland increases the financial burden on the rest of us And keep in mind that water demand on farms once gone will never come back largest part of the farmland we have lost and continue to lose is too steep and rocky for residential improvement or is located in agricultural conservation easement areas that prevent enhancement But that s not all San Diego County s billion agriculture industry supports more than jobs When water prices rise too high farmers don t just cut back they shut down That means lost jobs lost tax revenue and lost environmental services like carbon sequestration and erosion prevention that farms provide San Diego has long been a leader in water supply innovation and water conservation PSAWR is another example of that leadership It s a practical forward-looking guidelines that recognizes the unique role of agriculture in our region and offers a fair way to advocacy it Supporting PSAWR isn t about choosing farms over cities It s about recognizing that we re all part of the same water system and a healthy agriculture sector helps keep that system strong and affordable for everyone As board members we have a responsibility to look beyond the boundaries of our individual agencies and consider the regional good PSAWR is a smart outlay in our shared future Let s keep San Diego County growing together Gary Arant Frank Hilliker Jim Madaffer and Amy Reeh are board members of the San Diego County Water Authority