Government Affairs

Click here to view 2007 Adopted Policy Principles

Utilizing the direct involvement of the Board of Directors, management, staff and specialized local state and federal consultants, West Basin implements an aggressive government affairs program designed to educate and achieve favorable legislative and public policy results at every level of government. Through this effort, West Basin strives to achieve policies that will assist in the achievement of West Basin's adopted mission, "To provide a safe and reliable supply of high quality water to the communities we serve." While West Basin has achieved great success through the years, these achievements can easily be attributed to the many partnerships built through compromise and common goals.

Partnering with the Community
With a service area encompassing nearly one million people in seventeen cities, West Basin prides itself on our ability to avail time and resources throughout the region. Through these efforts, West Basin has successfully partnered with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments on the South Bay Energy Savings Center program, the City of Redondo Beach for the purpose of furthering research and the development of ocean water desalination, and nearly all seventeen cities in educating the public on the importance of conservation through West Basin's "It's Time to Get Serious" program. If your City or community organization would like to learn more about the "Its Time to Get Serious" program, please contact E.J. Caldwell via email at edwardc@westbasin.org.

State Legislative Activity
At the state level, portions of the West Basin service area are represented by nine members of the California State Assembly and four members of the State Senate. In order to maintain a successful legislative advocacy program, West Basin staff regularly monitors all pending legislation and provides legislative updates at each month's regularly scheduled public meeting of the West Basin Board of Directors. Through this process, the Board of Directors regularly take "official positions" on specific legislative proposals and public policy issues based on West Basin's adopted Legislative Policy Principles. Click here to read our Legislative Policy Principles. To properly advocate on such legislative matters, West Basin has an annual State Capitol Trip. Throughout the year, the West Basin Board of Directors, management, staff and consultants continue to monitor legislation that impacts the water community and the region as a whole, with the intention of advocating on behalf of the entire West Basin service area. If you have any questions regarding water legislation please contact edwardc@westbasin.org. To find out who your Assembly Member and/or State Senator is, please click on the maps below.

Federal Legislative Activity
While Washington D.C. seems far away, the diverse issues being addressed in our nation's Capitol have far reaching impacts. As with West Basin's state advocacy program, West Basin's Board of Directors participate in an annual Capitol Hill visit and West Basin staff regularly monitors pending federal legislation. To maximize West Basin's advocacy opportunities, we also work in close partnership with Metropolitan Water District and the Association of California Water Agencies. To date, West Basin has successfully requested and received more than $55 million in appropriations for the construction and expansion of the (newly renamed) Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility. In addition, West Basin, as a founding member of The New Water Supply Coalition, was instrumental in the introduction of, and building support for, H.R. 3452, a tax credit bond program intended to fund desalination and alternative water supply projects through out the United States. If you have any questions regarding federal legislation please contact edwardc@westbasin.org. To find your Congressional Representative, please click on the map below:

Map of State Assembly Districts

Map of State Senate Districts

Map of U.S. Congressional Districts