Since the 2017 crisis, the state and water contractors such as Metropolitan had hoped the federal government would cover up to 75 percent of the repair costs. So far, the federal government has only agreed to pay about a third of the total bill.
I want to make sure that readers understand that the “water contractors” referred to in your posts are the customers of the Division of Water Resources. They are not construction contractors, they are instead water districts and irrigation districts. The water districts contract for a percentage of the water and then clean it, pump it and resell it to homeowners and business owners. The irrigation districts pump it and sell it to agricultural users and groups.
That means when they say that the uncovered costs are going to go to “contractors’ it means the California citizens and business owners not the State Division of Water Resources.