Rainfall remains below average but water supplies are solid in Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - With another dry spell hitting the Central Coast, concerns about the return of the drought have been raised, but water officials say supplies are solid.

Cachuma Lake, the main water source for the Santa Barbara South Coast is at 72 percent of capacity. It's 20 feet below the spill level at Bradbury Dam.

Santa Barbara's water supply report shows enough water for three years, even if rain remains scarce.

The California drought map shows the only areas of minimal concern are in the Central Valley up to Sacramento.

The city of Santa Barbara says, in its last water report to the council, there are a variety of supplies available even if rainfall slows down again.

That includes reservoirs, underground storage, the desalination plant, reclaimed water, conservation and out of the area sources brought to the south coast.

The desalination plant is currently at 95 percent of its potential operation.