MWD Board Chair Adán Ortega Jr. said the litigation had for too long complicated the relationship between his agency, which delivers water for 19 million people, and the San Diego County Water Authority, which is a member of MWD and supplies water for 3.3 million people.
The California Attorney General's Office confirmed that emails regarding the settlement payments were legitimate, directing recipients to claim their share via Venmo or Zelle.
"When employers violate our laws, including through wage theft and untimely payments, workers are unfairly harmed, exploited, and financially deprived," Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in a statement.
"Anyone who watched the video would have thought he was going to die. They exhibited an utter disregard for human life. It's disgusting and I think that reflects in the settlement amount."