Proposition 50 Water Bonds

California health officials are preparing to reverse a long-standing state policy by letting private companies tap voter-approved water bond money that has historically been restricted to public water districts. Several public agencies and consumer groups are fighting the move, arguing that voters had no indication that for-profit firms might benefit when they passed Proposition 50, a $3.4-billion water bond measure, two years ago.

Before casting a vote on the $3.4-billion water bond issue on the November ballot, a reasonable voter might ask what California got for the three other water bonds passed in the last six years. The answer isn't simple. The past bond sales didn't buy a big new dam or reservoir to carry the state safely through drought.