For Santa Clarita residents, the prospect of rolling droughts are not the only concern when it comes to water management. The Signal reported in July that local water safety authorities had released a further report detailing the safety of the city’s water supplies; one leader stated they had drunk the local water for 50 years and they were ‘still here’. While the latest report does show that Santa Clarita water is safe, it hasn’t always been that way and it could be liable to change. A look at how SC gets its water is instructional in understanding the risks.
Local sourcing
Santa Clarita water is a local affair. According to water agency SCV Water, over half of supplies are produced from local groundwater in the Alluvium Aquifer and the Saugus Formation, which underlie the Santa Clara river. While this is good news for local water independence, it does mean the water system is tightly constrained within the city. When home water issues arise, such as common water-borne bugs and poor water quality, it can impact the city very rapidly. There is good news, however – the other 50% of the city’s water comes from sources outside of local groundwater aquifers, and that means there are options when water quality issues strike.
Regional waters
The other half of Santa Clarita’s water comes from the State Water Project (SWP). This is a complex and well-engineered system of water movement from north to south in the state that enables cities across California to access all of the resources they need at any given time of the year. Unfortunately, the system isn’t infallible. As CBS Bay Area outlines, SWP officials are warning of large-scale droughts that are already impacting the ability of the system to deliver water in a timely and high-quality fashion to the cities and counties that make up California. This leaves Santa Clarita more exposed to local water shortage and the impact of groundwater pollution, which is relevant even in recent memory.
Historical pollution
While the latest SCV Water report shows there are low levels of contaminants in groundwater, there have, historically, been problems. SCU.edu highlights research conducted by their students that show nitrate concentrations in several hotspots across the city are at unacceptable levels and, further, that current monitoring methods may be insufficient. This shows that there is potential for groundwater pollution problems, just as there have been in the past. Furthermore, it shows the fragile nature of the aquifers that underpin Santa Clarita. Surrounding counties and runoffs from outside of the valley have the potential to pollute and damage the quality of the aquifer water. It’s imperative that city and regional authorities work to prevent damage.
Water banning orders are difficult enough without the quality of what’s left being impeded. City and county officials need to keep a close eye on how studies are being conducted and what they reveal. Often, consequences appear years down the line.
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