SACRAMENTO (AP) — Two water agencies serving a combined half million people in suburban Sacramento are seeking to merge, saying they can better survive California’s historic drought as a larger organization.
The Sacramento Bee reported Sunday that officials at Sacramento Suburban Water District and their counterparts at San Juan Water District say a combined agency could save money and reduce the amount of inevitable rate increases. They also say merging the districts would give the region a stronger political voice on water policy.
After reviewing an initial analysis of the proposal, local political officials said more studies are required to justify a merger.
The boards of the districts are expected to vote next month on whether to proceed. The agencies plan to conduct more analysis if they move forward.