About Us

Water District Facts and Figures

The Water District was formed in 1959 under the Water Conservation Law of 1931, Division 21, Section 74000 et seq. of the California Water Code (the Act) as an Improvement District of the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District (the Parent District), for the purposes of furnishing water within the Water District.  The Water District has operated continuously since 1959.

The Water District functions as an Improvement District, which means it is an independent unit of local government serving the needs of a community.  Improvement Districts are the most efficient forms of government since the cost of the services provided to the customers directly equals the revenue generated from the charges for services provided.

Located in the central portion of Santa Barbara County, the Water District serves the communities of Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Ballard and the City of Solvang.  With approximately 6,737 customers (excluding the City of Solvang), the Water District currently provides water directly to 2,553 municipal and industrial customers and approximately 118 agricultural customers.  The Water District currently obtains approximately 40% of Water District water from the Cachuma Project, 8% of water from the Central Coast Water Authority, 27% from District wells which pump from the Santa Ynez Uplands Groundwater Basin, and 25% from District wells which pump from the Santa Ynez River Alluvium.