Water Supply
Since 1981, the District has maintained an extensive monitoring and management program to better define our underlying groundwater resources. Twenty-three monitoring wells, strategically placed along the coast, monitor water quality and groundwater levels in the two aquifers that make up our water supply. All wells are sampled to measure chlorides, nitrates, total dissolved solids and static water level as an early warning of the threat of salt water intrusion.
The Soquel Creek Water District currently supplies an average of 4,600 acre feet* of water annually. This is equal to approximately 1.5 billion gallons of water. (*One acre foot of water equals 325,851 gallons and is enough water to cover a football field one foot deep).
The District receives 100 percent of its water from two groundwater aquifers. The Purisima Aquifer provides two-thirds of the District's annual production (3,000 acre feet) for Capitola, Soquel, and Aptos. The Aromas Red Sands Aquifer provides the remaining one-third (1,600 acre feet) for the communities of Seascape, Rio Del Mar, and La Selva Beach.
The District operates 16 production wells. Estimated production capacity of all wells is over 15 million gallons per day. Our system encompasses approximately 130 miles of pipeline. The pipes range in diameter from two to 16 inches. Our 18 water storage tanks have a capacity of 7.5 million gallons.
