Your Water
Where Your Water Comes From
The potable water delivered by Calleguas to its member purveyors is purchased from Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Most of that water is from the California State Water Project and travels over 470 miles to reach the Calleguas service area. It originates as snowmelt in the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and travels from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta down the California Aqueduct to Castaic Lake, where it enters Metropolitan’s system. Metropolitan treats the water at the Jensen Treatment Plant in Granada Hills before delivering it to Calleguas on the eastern side of the Santa Susana Pass in Chatsworth. From there, the water travels through the 1.3-mile Santa Susana tunnel and into Simi Valley, where it is then distributed throughout the Calleguas service area primarily via gravity.
Water from Metropolitan that is not immediately distributed to purveyors is stored either at 10,500-acre-foot Lake Bard located at the District’s headquarters in Thousand Oaks or at the District’s Las Posas Aquifer Storage and Recovery Wellfield. As required by regulation, when water is drawn from the lake it is treated once more at the Lake Bard Water Filtration Plant. Imported water stored in and pumped from the Las Posas Basin is treated at the wellfield before entering the Calleguas system. Imported water stored in Lake Bard and the wellfield is utilized in the event of emergencies and planned maintenance outages.
Calleguas’s activities extend beyond the distribution of imported water. The District is active in regional water planning, water use efficiency and conservation, watershed protection, and development of local water supplies. Calleguas’s Salinity Management Pipeline enables the treatment and use of local groundwater sources that would not otherwise be suitable for potable use. Calleguas also operates a small distribution system providing recycled wastewater for irrigation use in Simi Valley.
One acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre of land (about one football field) one foot deep. An acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons, enough to serve about three homes in a year.
Water Use Efficiency
Water use efficiency and conservation are essential for sustaining California’s limited water resources. Adopting innovative technologies and implementing best practices can significantly reduce water waste, promote sustainable use, and save money. Every effort counts in preserving this vital resource for future generations and ensuring a healthy environment. See Water Use Efficiency for available rebates, classes, climate-appropriate landscapes, and more.
Water Quality
Water quality is a priority for Calleguas Municipal Water District. A team of highly trained professionals works hard to ensure Calleguas’ water supply meets all State and Federal Water Quality Standards.
