CityofSantaBarbara
Source: City of Santa Barbara
The past winter was especially dry throughout the state, including in Santa Barbara, which received only 48 percent of normal rainfall. Despite the dry winter and the recent drought declaration from Governor Newsom, the City’s water supply outlook is positive as a result of its diverse water supplies. Santa Barbara’s water sources include: Lake Cachuma, Gibraltar Reservoir, ocean desalination, groundwater, imported water through the State Water Project, and recycled water.
A consistent supply of desalinated water since 2017 helped the City meet demands during the most recent drought, and enabled the City to build up a surplus of water stored in Lake Cachuma. Additionally, rainfall in 2017, 2019, and 2020 filled Gibraltar Reservoir, and water from the reservoir was used to supply the City, allowing for additional storage in Lake Cachuma. Currently, the City has enough water stored in Lake Cachuma to supply the community for the next two and a half years with Lake Cachuma supplies alone. The City can continue to let its groundwater basins rest and recover.
Water conservation throughout Santa Barbara continues to be strong. The community’s water use currently averages 25 percent less than pre-drought (2013) water use. Many customers made permanent changes to conserve water during the last drought, such as replacing lawns and sprinklers with water wise landscaping, or making plumbing upgrades. As a result, water demands are not expected to fully “rebound” to pre-drought conditions. Santa Barbara’s continued embodiment of water conservation as a way of life is important as dry conditions are experienced statewide.
The City’s 2020 Enhanced Urban Water Management Plan (EUWMP) was adopted by Council on June 29, 2021, and is an important planning document that sets the vision for the City’s water supply and management for the next 30 years. It includes updated water demand projections that define a “new normal” based on post drought water demands, as well as updated population and economic drivers for City water use. The EUWMP is the product of rigorous analyses that considered the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the City’s water management strategy, and included stakeholder input throughout the development process.
The EUWMP anticipates dry conditions like those we are currently experiencing and includes an Adaptive Management Plan for managing the City’s water supplies under drought conditions. Currently, City staff are “working the plan” to manage the City’s water resources and expect to update the Water Commission and City Council on potential next steps in drought response during the spring of 2022, should we experience another dry winter. For now, the community is encouraged to continue to use our water resources efficiently.
For more information on the City’s water supplies and the Enhanced Urban Water Management Plan, visit www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterVision
Agree RHS, all one has to do is look at the “author” of the article here to know what’s what. It says “City of Santa Barbara”. To me, that reads ‘don’t believe everything you read’. The City will almost always spout these lighthearted feel good, “we’re doing great with conservation” vibes which are completely bs in my opinion. It’s all rosy. It’s all good. We’re doing great. No cause for alarm.
Well, don’t believe everything you read. Ever heard that phrase before? It’s a good one. The state’s in deep you know what constantly regarding water. It’s crazy that the state mandates cities like SB to keep building (“affordable housing”) and yet has really no long term plan for the one major resource that no living being can live without, humans no exception. Water. Where will it come from? We have exceeded our arid region’s (and likely entire state’s) carrying capacity for this population. We did long ago really.
I cannot believe there aren’t better water conservation standards established throughout our area and the state in general. It’s baffling. This has been talked about for decades academically for good reason. Anyone out there take an Environmental Studies class (maybe like from Prof. Nash?) at UCSB back in the day?
Water doesn’t just come from thin air.
As an aside, there’s a pathetic hose like flow of State Water flowing into Cachuma currently. I wanted to copy/paste a photo I took yesterday of it from the lake. It’s truly unimpressive (in volume) but to me WAS impressive when I thought wow – do people and politicians who are thinking things are always good because we live in Santa Barbara realize State Water is currently a drop in the bucket? It’s a glorified fire hose. Wish I could post a visual as a counter to the above article. It ain’t pretty!
Bottom line is the folks have to lead in terms of conservation. The elected officials, water boards, etc. well, they’re out to lunch.
Lift up your eyes… and look to the WEST (actually South from SB)… You’ll notice a thing there we like to call the Ocean… Water makes up 67% of the surface of the earth. No, we do not have a water shortage. We have a VISION shortage…
Desalination is in our future.
Rebecca Bjork, current Acting City Manager started out as the City Water Resources Manager – at one time she reported the city has combined water resource plans to survive a 14 year drought. Does that projection still hold up?
This sort of platitude press release is embarrassing to the community, I think. Yes, we can have water at an exorbitant price is we run the desalination plant full out. Environmental consequences be damned. Or we could finally admit that the less costly and much more pro-environmental alternative of recycled water is available. Make an alliance with the Goleta WD and other local water districts to share the cost of this technology and process (unlike giving the desal to Montecito) and in return run treated water into the aquifers that they control, allowing SB to share the product when needed. Cooperation and environmental good.
The admitted recycled water is a vital part of our system. Really should read the article before attacking it
What Does the current Governor’s Drought Declaration Mean for the City’s Water Supplies?
The hotels need to be held to a higher standard than us residents. As of now, there is no limit, no restriction, no penalty for their unfettered use of water. Everyday, in every hotel room, tourists are taking 15-30min showers, long baths and wandering around lush gardens. And all that money, all those rates, go into the profits of an out of town corporation that pays its employees min wages and takes from us, our most valuable resources. This trade off for a few million in tax revenue is NOT WORTH it. We need to fire the mayor, the council and at least 33% of the city’s bloated staff. We need to re-assess the actual value of gifting so much of our town’s most valuable resources to corporate tourism and city government waste. Are these low wage jobs worth it? What do we get gifting so much water and so much of our city’s resources to these corporate entities? Nothing actually. Its an absolute lose – lose situation. Low wage workers cost us all in tax subsidies, tourists costs us all in their use of water and public services. Tourism does not produce good jobs. In fact, they are the lowest skilled jobs for which we mostly import our work force. Its time to rethink tourism and the actual costs these entities lay on the feet of the city’s actual citizens and residents. Start with water limits and high fees. Force the hotels to reduce their uses before turning to the people who actually live and pay for the city and the water.
It takes 1-3 gallons to grow a single almond, one our most lucrative crops grown nearly exclusively in CA. Almonds alone require more than 10% of our States water and consume 35 times as much as Sacramento’s 1/2 million residents annually. Nearly 70% of our almonds are exported overseas to the tune of nearly $5 Billion. We are effectively exporting 10% of water outside of the country for $5 Billion. Most of almonds are surprisingly used in candy production. This talk about limiting new residential development is like separating rice from fly sh!t as it is effectively inconsequential to our water use. In the meantime, enjoy that almond milk in your coffee as you complain about more apartments overburdening our water resources as it takes nearly ONE THOUSAND gallons of water to make one carton of almond milk. Are the almonds the wisest crop to grow in a desert?