The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD)

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) is a public agency and a regional wholesale water supplier, recognized as the largest distributor of treated water in the United States. Established in 1928 by the California State Legislature, its core mission is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible manner. The organization's headquarters are located at 700 North Alameda Street in Los Angeles, California.

MWD's primary services involve importing and delivering water to its 26 member agencies, which include 14 cities, 11 municipal water districts, and one county water authority. These agencies collectively serve approximately 19 million people across a 5,200-square-mile service area encompassing parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. The district sources water from two main origins: the Colorado River, via the Colorado River Aqueduct which MWD built and operates, and Northern California, through the State Water Project where it is the largest contractor. Its extensive infrastructure includes three major reservoirs, six smaller reservoirs, 830 miles of large-scale pipes, about 400 connections to member agencies, 16 hydroelectric facilities, and five water treatment plants.

In recent news, MWD has been actively involved in addressing water scarcity challenges. In July 2026, the district's Board of Directors approved an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to retain up to 200,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water in Lake Mead, receiving up to $65 million in federal funding to help stabilize historically low water levels. This initiative underscores MWD's long-term investments in water conservation, recycling, and groundwater recovery, which have contributed to the region's water resilience. Under the leadership of General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh and Board Chair Adán Ortega Jr., MWD is also developing a Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water (CAMP4W) to proactively manage the impacts of climate change on Southern California's water supplies.