Recycled water deliveries to the La Cumbre Country Club begin March 1

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- A newly-installed service connection will be opened to start delivering recycled water to the La Cumbre Country Club on Tuesday.

The City of Santa Barbara has initiated a 25-year agreement to provide surplus recycled water to the La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, and the country club is the largest customer of the water company, according to Lauren Bennett, city administrative assistant.

“It is not often you can deliver on an agreement that represents a win on so many fronts: preserving limited drinking water supplies, limiting treated wastewater released to the ocean, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure, and reducing operating costs for City and La Cumbre Mutual Water Company customers," said Joshua Haggmark, Water Resources Manager for the City. 

"This agreement checks all the boxes for beneficial regional water supply cooperation.”

The switch from potable water to recycled water for irrigation at the country club benefits water supplies for both agencies because they have a mutual groundwater basin, Bennett said.

Reduced groundwater pumping from the basin for irrigation will allow more water storage for the community, she added.

The city has a history of using recycled water and was one of the first adopters of recycled water in California. Recycled water has been used for irrigation at over 50 sites throughout the city, Bennett said.

The city executed the recycled water agreement on Feb. 2, 2021, and the commencement of the delivery of the recycled water begins Tuesday.