Together, Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) and Desert Water Agency (DWA) have imported more than 200,000 acre-feet of water into the Coachella Valley so far this year and expect to put more water into the aquifer this calendar year than will be used by valley residents and businesses.

“Thanks to the wet winter in California, we are expecting to import more than 300,000 acre-feet of water this year for replenishment in the west valley, which will have a positive impact on our long-term water management efforts at combating aquifer overdraft,” said CVWD General Manager Jim Barrett.

CVWD and DWA are State Water Contractors that import water for replenishment at two facilities in the western end of the Coachella Valley. CVWD also imports Colorado River water for groundwater replenishment in the eastern Coachella Valley and has started work on a new replenishment facility in the middle of the valley.

While the agencies’ combined State Water Project water allocation is 194,100 acre-feet, the actual amount delivered varies each year based on water availability, environmental restrictions and advance deliveries.

To date, more than 3.5 million acre-feet of imported water has been returned to the aquifer at the three replenishment facilities in the Coachella Valley. That’s more than a trillion gallons. Groundwater replenishment is a key component of the Coachella Valley’s water management efforts, combined with conservation, increased use of recycled water and imported Colorado River water for agriculture and golf course irrigation.

“Ending 2017 with a positive balance of water will put us closer to eliminating overdraft long term valley wide,” said Mark Krause, Desert Water Agency General Manager. “Both replenishment and conservation from our communities have helped lead us down a more sustainable path.”

 CVWD began capturing and replenishing snowmelt at Whitewater in 1918. CVWD and DWA became SWP contractors in the 1960s and began importing water for replenishment in 1973.

Desert Water Agency is a public, not-for-profit agency and a State Water Contractor, serving a 325-square-mile area, including parts of Cathedral City, outlying county areas, Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs. An elected five-member board sets policy and represents the ratepayers. For more information, please visit www.dwa.org or contact: DWA Outreach & Conservation Manager Ashley Metzger at (760) 323-4971 ext. 184, Ashley@dwa.org.

The Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment and reclamation services, regional storm water protection, groundwater management and water conservation. It serves approximately 109,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, located primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.

News  Release Contacts
Heather Engel, hengel@cvwd.org,  760-398-2661, Ext. 2353
Ashley Metzger, ashley@dwa.org,  760-323-4971, Ext. 184
Diane Carmony, dcarmony@cvwd.org,  760-398-2661, Ext. 2315