Report: Water Authority infrastructure investments generate $4.8 billion in economic impact in SD

In the past two decades, San Diego County Water Authority has invested more than $2.4 billion in five major water reliability projects. A new study released by EDC in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority, quantifies the impact these investments have on our broader economy. These projects have generated $4.8 billion in total economic impact, supporting an average of 1,475 jobs annually over two decades and creating more than $1.8 billion in local wages and salaries.

The report also found that access to safe and reliable water supplies supports $482 million in total regional sales of goods and services daily – equivalent to the economic impact of nearly three Comic-Cons every day.

In addition, the report shows that more than 2,800 people work in the water and wastewater sectors at the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. The water industry provides career opportunities across all levels of educational attainment, in everything from customer service to engineering.

SDCWA has kicked off the “Brought to you by water” campaign to share the impact of water across multiple industries.

We all know that water is essential for the viability of our communities, but we often take that for granted and that is a luxury,” said Janice Brown, chair of the EDC’s Board of Directors. “Without the infrastructure: pipelines, dams, treatment plants – we would not have reliable water. Reliable water makes us economically competitive.”

You can find the full study here: http://sdedc:8888/sites/default/files/Water%20Study%202018.compressed.pdf

If interested in an economic impact analysis of your company or project, get in touch with EDC’s research team.