Countywide Vision water inventory wins Good Government Award

POMONA – Mark Twain is credited with saying whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting. For more than a century, California water purveyors have been notorious for warring over and hoarding their supplies, oftentimes to the detriment of the public.

San Bernardino County’s Vision effort bucked that image in a big way in August when it unveiled the first-ever Countywide Water Inventory. The Water Inventory was honored in a big way Thursday night when it earned the 2012 Good Government Award from the Building Industry Association Baldy View Chapter.

The Countywide Vision’s Water Element Group, which includes leaders from many of the county’s water agencies, conducted a complete inventory of the county’s water resources and determined that, acting separately, the county would not have enough water through 2035. But that is only if water users step-up conservation efforts and the public and local government leaders are willing to invest in projects that will store and protect additional water supplies.

County leaders have stressed the importance of conservation and support for new infrastructure as a key element for economic prosperity.

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