Water Commission adopts 2024 water supply management report; finds groundwater in long‑term balance

The Santa Barbara Water Commission voted unanimously Dec. 19 to approve the City of Santa Barbara’s 2024 Water Supply Management Report, a required annual submission tied to the city’s participation in the State Water Project.

Jasmine Showers, who presented the report, told commissioners the report is a backward‑looking requirement that summarizes water supplies used during the 2024 water year and provides a multi‑year outlook. “The city can meet demands for the next three water years, even if we assume very dry conditions,” Showers said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the report documents the supply mix used in the last year, summarizes groundwater monitoring conditions and asks the commission to find that local groundwater basins are in long‑term balance in accordance with the conjunctive‑management element of the city’s Enhanced Urban Water Management Plan. The commission moved to approve the recommendation and recorded a unanimous roll‑call vote.

Key findings and near‑term outlook

- Rainfall and supply: Staff said the region received roughly 56% of normal rainfall in water year 2024 and that recent wetter conditions allowed the city to use more Gibraltar and Mission Tunnel water than expected, creating carryover at Kachuma. - Near‑term supply strategy: Staff reported no planned groundwater pumping for the next three water years, an intent to maximize ASR injections at the San Roque well, and no planned State Water Project deliveries for the next two years (with a contingency plan that includes up to 1,600 acre‑feet in 2027 if needed). - Automated Metering Infrastructure: City staff reported about 49% of all accounts and 50% of residential accounts are registered in the new AMI portal; the lowest census‑tract registration rate rose from 37% (September) to 42% (December).

Groundwater details

- Foothill Basin: Staff cited a multi‑year drought yield estimate of roughly 8,000 acre‑feet (USGS modeling), reported total Foothill pumping of 62 acre‑feet last year (the majority tied to the San Roque ASR pilot), and said remaining estimated safe yield is about 3,800 acre‑feet. - Storage Unit 1 (Santa Barbara Basin): The city’s assumed multi‑year drought yield is about 16,000 acre‑feet, with an estimated remaining yield of roughly 9,680 acre‑feet; staff said monitoring wells have largely recovered and many are artesian. - Storage Unit 3: Staff described water‑quality constraints (hydrogen sulfide, manganese and iron) that limit its routine use; “it smells like rotten eggs,” staff said, and the water is “hard on equipment.”

Action and votes

Commissioner Davis moved to approve the recommendation to adopt the 2024 Water Supply Management Report; a second was recorded and a roll‑call vote followed. Commissioners Davis, Cooney, Vice Chair Keller and Chair Snyder voted yes.

Following the report, commissioners discussed recurring staffing and retention problems in the water department. The commission voted to return an agenda item early next year to assess staff capacity, turnover and retention; that motion also passed unanimously.

Ending: With the report adopted, staff said they will submit the document as required for State Water Project participation and proceed with planned monitoring, ASR injections and the public engagement schedule tied to capital projects.