FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Name: Becca Gold Rubin, Public Outreach Coordinator
Email: beccar@soquelcreekwater.org
Phone: 831-475-8500 x118

Soquel, CA (April 7, 2025) — Soquel Creek Water District has received the Organization of the Year Award from the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce, presented at its Annual Community Recognition Gala event on April 3, 2025.

This award is an opportunity for the Chamber to recognize a forward-thinking agency which puts community first, and carries out its mission with transparency and strong leadership. The District’s participation in the Chamber’s Community Leadership activities, which involved a tour of the Pure Water Soquel facility, along with its commitment to building a better future for all who live and work in the region, were also key to earning this award. 

“Our Board and staff are truly gratified to be recognized with this award, and we thank the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce for this honor,”  said Rachél Lather, President of the District’s Board of Directors. “A reliable water supply is fundamental to the health and vitality of the entire community. We work hard to ensure our customers are provided with clean, safe, reliable water every day. And with the Pure Water Soquel project coming online soon, we can assure our community of a sustainable water supply for generations to come.”

Soquel Creek Water District is responsible for delivering drinking water and managing groundwater resources within its jurisdiction in mid-Santa Cruz County. The District includes portions of the City of Capitola and the unincorporated communities of Aptos, La Selva Beach, Rio Del Mar, Seascape, Seacliff Beach, and Soquel. With approximately 14,400 water connections, the District serves over 40,000 residents, supplies water to businesses that support approximately 18,000 jobs, and provides water for 22 parks and 18 schools within the region.  

District General Manager Melanie Mow Schumacher noted that, “The District is all about partnerships – including with the community, with businesses, with local, state, and federal officials, and with other local and regional agencies. It’s gratifying to be recognized by the Chamber for our efforts on behalf of the community we serve, and we count the Chamber among our valued partners.” 

The District receives 100% of its water from groundwater sources and receives no imported water from state or federal water projects. The groundwater basin is designated as critically overdrafted, leading to seawater intrusion which, if left unresolved, will contaminate the groundwater wells and make them unusable to produce drinking water. The Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Replenishment and Seawater Intrusion Prevention Project was identified as a solution to the seawater intrusion problem. 

The Pure Water Soquel facility — now completed and undergoing final testing before full operation — will take treated, recycled municipal wastewater and use advanced treatment processes to produce 1,500 acre-feet of purified water per year. This purified water will be used to replenish the groundwater basin, providing a barrier against seawater contamination and creating a reliable, safe, clean supply of water. This project creates the foundation that is needed to meet the community’s desperate need for a sustainable water supply, and it does so in the most environmentally-conscious manner possible. The project has the significant environmental benefit of diverting millions of gallons of effluent from being disposed of daily in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

Soquel Creek Water District has a reputation as an efficient, effective agency, and has in the past received a Top Workplace Award, an Award of Excellence in Outreach & Education, and a Transparency Award, among others. It is also well known throughout the water industry for its creative and successful community outreach programs, engaging all segments of its customer base with useful information, water conservation tips and tools, Pure Water Soquel and general updates, and more. 

Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors from left to right: Dr. Bruce Jaffe, Jennifer Balboni, Carla Christensen, President Rachél Lather, Vice President Dr. Tom LaHue

About Soquel Creek Water District:  

Soquel Creek Water District is a not-for-profit local government agency that provides water resource management within its service area to deliver a safe and reliable supply of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally sensitive and economically responsible way. 

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