And it is coming from the Sacramento River rather than the American, good news.
Intake plant ceremony signals end of water war
Sacramento River will supply up to 85 million gallons for development in east county.
By Terri Hardy - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Homes planned for east Sacramento County will have an assured water supply as a result of a new water intake plant to be constructed near Freeport.
The plant's ceremonial groundbreaking Monday marked the end to a bitter, decades-long water war involving the county, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and environmentalists who feared pumping water from the American River would harm fish and other wildlife.
The nearly $1 billion project will take water from the Sacramento River instead. County officials said it will provide up to 85 million gallons for existing and future residents in an area of the county stretching from Elk Grove to Rancho Cordova.
Water would be diverted to East Bay customers only in dry years, when up to 100 million gallons could be delivered. Sacramento customers would continue to get their allotment in those dry periods.
"This means an adequate water supply for the Sacramento community, for now and in the future," said Keith DeVore, head of the county's Water Resources Department.
Water from the project will be adequate to serve 100,000 new households, including homes in the Sunrise Douglas development under construction in Rancho Cordova, DeVore said.
