Standing as the local public water wholesaler, the Castaic Lake Water Agency provides about half of the water for Santa Clarita businesses and residences. Established as the Upper Santa Clara Valley Water Agency in April of 1962, the CLWA adds on to the local groundwater supplies with State Water Project water from northern California and other sources of imported water.
The available sources of the Santa Clarita Valley’s drinking water supply includes ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, and more. After being treated, the water is brought to the four local water purveyors in the area, such as the Valencia Water Company, the Los Angeles County Waterworks District (#36), and the Newhall County Water District. The water provided in Santa Clarita travels over 600 miles all the way from Northern California. Stored northeast of Sacramento in Lake Oroville, water flows through three powerplants before reaching the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The water travels through the Delta, streaming through a network of both natural and man-made channels to another pumping plant where it begins the 300 mile journey south through the California Aqueduct. The water then moves through the Edmonston Pumping Plant where it is lifted before entering miles of tunnels to cross the Tehachapi Mountains before ultimately pouring through Quail Lake and Pyramid Lake before ending up in Castaic. Water is then pulled from Castaic Lake before flowing through pipelines beneath the ground before supplying the Castaic Lake Water Agency’s treatment plants.
The key in helping this water supply is the collection of groundwater, especially when the groundwater for Santa Clarita comes from local wells. Groundwater is water that has filtered through natural aquifers underground. Despite the unsightly idea of groundwater, all water gathered from this underground supply are thoroughly disinfected and then pumped through the distribution center and back into the water supply.
After the declaration of an emergency regulation for water conservation, the Castaic Lake Water Agency has been helping lead the way in providing information and resources for residents to find and act on amidst the drought. The CLWA has been serving the Santa Clarita’s water supply for over fifty years, and will continue to devote their time, service, and care to supplying the community with water.
For more information on the Castaic Lake Water Agency, click here.
Castaic Lake Water Agency
27234 Bouquet Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, California 91350
661-297-1600
