Water Use Remains Low In Santa Cruz County, Report Finds

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — As the county reports advances in water protection and conservation technologies, water use continues to remain lower that previous years, the Santa Cruz County Water Resources Management Status Report shows.

The number of county residents has doubled since 2000, but less water is used today. Water use is also below pre-drought levels in 2013, the county said in a press release this week.

The approval of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency's Pajaro Valley Basin plan was among the highlights of water stewardship in 2019, the county said. It was the first plan to address a critically overdrafted basin in the state.

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency plan, under review by the state, was put in place and the agency received $50 million from the state, as part of its Prop 1 Groundwater Grant Program. The agency was awarded low-interest loans from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Seawater Intrusion Control Low-Interest Program.

The plans will help bring the county closer to achieving water sustainability, it said.

More news from Santa Cruz County:

• Major milestone reached in Pajaro River Flood Reduction Project
• $1,800 Theft Caught In Progress
• This Local Water System Needs $100M In Upgrades