(LOS ANGELES, CA) – Cadiz Inc. [NASDAQ:CDZI] (“Cadiz”, the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Cadiz Water Conservation, Recovery & Storage Project (“Cadiz Water Project”), a public-private partnership with local water providers to deliver a new, reliable water supply across Southern California, has earned the support of the California Chamber of Commerce (“CalChamber”), the state’s largest business advocacy group.
In a recent letter of support the CalChamber stated, “The Cadiz Project fits within the policy principals of the CalChamber to support a comprehensive solution to California’s chronic water shortage. The increase in water supplies and the economic benefits are compelling. Southern California needs projects like this one to diversify its long term water supply while at the same time reducing reliance on imported water and providing for more local groundwater storage.”
“The express support of the Cadiz Project by the CalChamber, as well as the strong embrace of our economic benefits and ability to grow water supplies in the middle of an extended drought, provides powerful momentum to our effort to complete our remaining milestones,” said Scott Slater, Cadiz President and CEO. “The backing of California’s largest and most powerful broad-based business advocate to government is a golden affirmation of our mission to deliver reliable water to 400,000 people and we are grateful for the support.”
The Cadiz Water Project is a public-private partnership designed to conserve groundwater presently lost to evaporation and high-salinity in the Mojave Desert’s Cadiz Valley and deliver it to Southern California communities. Over the 50-year term of the Project, an average of 50,000 acre-feet of water per year, enough for 400,000 people, will be delivered across the region in compliance with a comprehensive, state-of-the-art groundwater management program that will be enforced by San Bernardino County. In a second phase, the Project would store up to 1 million acre-feet of imported water for use in future dry years. The Company developed the Cadiz Water Project in partnership with the Santa Margarita Water District (“SMWD”), Orange County’s second largest water agency, as well as water providers that serve seven Southern California counties.
The Project was exhaustively reviewed and then approved in 2012 in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). Earlier this summer, the CEQA approvals were sustained by the California Court of Appeal in six sweeping opinions in favor of the Project. With legal review of the Project under CEQA exhausted, the Company and its supporters are working to finalize arrangements to convey water from Cadiz via a pipeline to the Colorado River Aqueduct and then into the service areas of Project participants.
About the CalChamber
The California Chamber of Commerce is the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California. Membership represents one-quarter of the private sector jobs in California and includes firms of all sizes and companies from every industry within the state. Leveraging our front-line knowledge of laws and regulations, we provide products and services to help businesses comply with both federal and state law. CalChamber, a not-for-profit organization with roots dating to 1890, promotes international trade and investment in order to stimulate California’s economy and create jobs. To learn more visit http://www.calchamber.com.