Where Does Our Water Come From?

Once again, California is in the midst of a severe drought. In fact, 2022 is turning out to be the state’s driest year on record so far. Seal Beach residents’ water supply is a blend of groundwater pumped from three local wells by the city’s water department and water imported from Northern California and the Colorado River by the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) via the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), according to the City of Seal Beach 2022 Water Report.

Groundwater comes from a natural underground aquifer that is replenished with water from the Santa Ana River, local rainfall, imported water and the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). The GWRS has been operating since January 2008. Jointly developed by Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District, the GWRS is the largest water purification project of its kind in the world.

The GWRS currently produces 100 million gallons of high-quality water that exceeds drinking water standards and serves as a locally controlled, drought-proof water supply, according to the OCWD. In early 2023, the GWRS will complete a final expansion that will produce 130 million gallons of water a day, enough to serve one million people daily. Also, the Orange County Groundwater Basin supplies 77% of the drinking water supply to 2.5 million people in 19 cities and retail water agencies in north and central Orange County. The remaining 23% comes from imported supplies brought in by the MWD and served through its local subsidiary member agency, the MWDOC. The imported water comes from the Colorado River and northern California via the State Water Project, according to MWDOC. TheOrangeCountyGroundwater Basin is 350 square miles and lies beneath north and central Orange County from Irvine to the Los Angeles County border and from Yorba Linda to the Pacific Ocean. More than 20 cities and retail water districts draw from the basin to provide water to homes and businesses.

The OCWD, MWDOC and the City of Seal Beach work cooperatively to evaluate new and innovative water management and supply development programs, including water reuse and recycling, wetlands expansion, recharge facility construction, ocean and brackish water desalination, surface storage and water use efficiency programs, according to the city’s 2022 Water Report. These efforts are helping to enhance long-term countywide water reliability and water quality.

In addition to Seal Beach residents, the MWDOC serves nearly 3.2 million Orange County residents through 27 retail water agencies. MWDOC’s service area covers all of Orange County with the exception Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana.

As water providers continue to plan and prepare for extended dry conditions, residents and businesses statewide are being called to take action and reduce water use by 20% to extend limited water supplies.

Overall, Orange County is better prepared for this drought then some, thanks to sound planning and wise investments in water supply and infrastructure.

For example, OCWD is implementing a regional groundwater banking program to ensure long-term reliability and increasing stormwater capture behind Prado Dam, where water eventually gets recharged into the Orange County Groundwater basin and becomes a part of the drinking water supply.

South OC

A total of eight retail water agencies deliver drinking water to the remaining 600,000 residents and businesses located in south Orange County.

These communities do not reside within the boundaries of the basin and are heavily dependent on imported water for their drinking water supply. As such, most of their drinking water supply is imported from hundreds of miles away via MWDOC.

Cost of water in OC

The cost of groundwater is $507/acre-foot, about half the cost of imported water, which is $1,143/acre-foot.

(One acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons or enough water to cover an acre of land, about the size of a football field, one foot deep. An average California household uses between one-half and one acre-foot of water per year for indoor and outdoor use.)

Retail water agencies in Orange County establish the price of water delivered to customers.

The rate charged for water is impacted by multiple factors, including the cost of groundwater, the cost of imported water, the cost to construct, operate and maintain pipelines, reservoirs and pumps to deliver water to homes or businesses, and the administrative cost of operating a retail water system.

Retailers’ rates can vary depending upon the age of the water system, how much groundwater is used vs. more expensive imported water, and other factors.

For this reason, OCWD attempts to maximize the amount of groundwater available to retail agencies, while sustainably managing the basin.

A recent statewide mandate activating Level 2 water conservation plans has been instituted. Seal Beach has implemented water use restrictions that prohibit the watering of non-functional and purely ornamental turf, in addition to other measures.

The GRF has turned off its sprinklers in non-functional green spaces. LW residents are asked to conserve water in every way possible to avoid further restrictions.