Water Resources and Conservation

The Dana Reserve will contribute to the expenses of the supplemental water project and will pay over $36 million in water and sewer connection fees plus $4.5 million in capital charges, creating a slight reduction for current ratepayers. Since 2007 the Nipomo Community Services District (NCSD) has reduced groundwater pumping by importing water from Santa Maria and through conservation efforts. NCSD has completed a water supply study that projects water needs for all users at full build-out, in the NCSD service area, along with the full build out of the Dana Reserve and found that groundwater pumping will continue to be reduced from the 2019 levels. With the Dana Reserve, groundwater pumping will be reduced by 33% and current ratepayers will see their sewer bill reduced by 30%.

Dana Reserve will use zero groundwater now or in the future and with the completion of the housing development, more water will be returned to the basin than is extracted for the first time ever.

Dana Reserve Reduces Groundwater Pumping

Dana Reserve allows the NCSD to further reduce groundwater pumping by purchasing previously contracted imported water, saving costs for the current ratepayers and contributing recharge water to the basin.

Nipomo’s Water Future

Due to the cyclical drought conditions experienced in California, and the threat they pose to the Nipomo Groundwater Basin, NCSD took steps to meet the current water needs while planning for the future of the Nipomo community.