Central Coast Water Authority files lawsuit against Santa Barbara County regarding management of State Water Project

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA) and its eight-member cities and water districts recently filed a lawsuit against the County of Santa Barbara regarding the management of the State Water Project.

CCWA has been in charge of managing, operating and financing the portion of the State Water Project for Santa Barbara County.

Its members include the cities of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Buellton and Guadalupe, while its water districts include Montecito, Carpinteria, Goleta and Santa Ynez--which contracts a portion of its State Water Project supply to Solvang).

CCWA said its member cities and water districts have the authority and responsibility to provide a reliable and adequate supply of clean and safe water to their customers.

CCWA said it filed a lawsuit in Santa Barbara County Superior Court after the county imposed new conditions on the sales and exchanges of State Water, depriving its cities and water districts of new contract amendments offered by the State of California, which owns and operates the State Water Project.

CCWA said these new contract amendments are designed to improve the flexibility and efficiency of buying and selling water across the State Water Project, aimed at streamlining water exchange to better manage supplies during drought and climate changes.

“In the face of changing climate and water supply conditions locally and state-wide, the Goleta Water District requires every tool in its water management portfolio to remain flexible and ensure a continued reliable source of water supply for the communities it serves," said Farfalla Borah, Director of the Goleta Water District. "Water agencies in Santa Barbara County should be afforded the same rights and opportunities as all other agencies throughout the state.”

The water authority said this lawsuit against the county was necessary because the County Board of Supervisors infringed on the rights of CCWA and its members by deciding how to manage State Water supplies. CCWA said it pays 100% of the costs for these supplies while the County does not.

For more information, visit www.ccwa.com.