Michael Smolens: San Diego officials say they’re close to selling off some water oversupply

San Diego appears to be on the verge of long-sought water sales that officials hope will at least reduce future cost increases to local customers.

Whether that lowers the political temperature between the city of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority over rates remains to be seen.

Dan Denham, general manager of the water authority, said in the coming months the agency expects to close deals to send water to a handful of fellow members of the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

According to its agenda this week, the water authority board held a closed session to discuss the terms and price of sales to the city of Burbank, the Eastern Municipal Water District, Three Valleys Municipal Water District and the Western Municipal Water District of Riverside County.

On a separate track, the water authority is entering into a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and various water agencies to explore interstate transfers that would send water to Arizona and Nevada.

San Diego officials say this is groundbreaking stuff in the water world, creating new mechanisms and legal frameworks to transfer water from where there are surpluses to where there’s need.

San Diego is in a position to do this because of a well-known predicament that might be described as a blessing and a curse.

More than two decades ago, the water authority sought to obtain a secure supply after the ...