A SUSTAINABLE WATER FUTURE

In an area known for complex water challenges, UWCD has always offered unique approaches to regional watershed management and responsibly conserving and enhancing our resources, and protecting the environment while meeting the area’s water demand.

At UWCD, we know that preparing the region for a successful water future requires innovation, foresight and collaboration. Explore the following projects for an overview of how UWCD is working together with partners and stakeholders to solve short and long-term water challenges, grow our supply and champion water sustainability for the benefit of the region for decades to come.

View the Sustainability Summit Materials

STATE WATER PROJECT

EXTRACTION BARRIER BRACKISH WATER TREATMENT

FREEMAN
DIVERSION

SANTA
FELICIA DAM

PUMPING TROUGH PIPELINE

GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT

RECYCLED
WATER

HABITAT
CONSERVATION
PLAN

WATER USE
EFFICIENCY

IRON AND MANGANESE TREATMENT PLANT

OUR THREE PRIORITY PROJECTS

Santa Felicia Dam Safety Improvement Project

Seismic upgrades and spillway improvements required by the California Division of Safety of Dams and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to meet modern dam safety standards and protect the 237,000 residents living downstream.

Current cost estimate: $314 million

Freeman Diversion Improvement Project

Fish passage, fish screen, and facility improvements required by a federal court order and Endangered Species Act obligations, while also increasing the District’s ability to capture stormwater for groundwater recharge.

Current cost estimate: $104 million

Extraction Barrier & Brackish Water Treatment Project (Phase 1B)

A groundwater extraction barrier and treatment system to stop seawater intrusion on the Oxnard Plain, identified as a key project in the region’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan.

Current cost estimate: $51 million

HOW WE FUND OUR PROJECTS

United Water Conservation District is responsible for some of the most critical water infrastructure in Ventura County. Three major capital projects are currently underway, each required by regulatory mandate, federal court order, or groundwater sustainability obligation. Together, they represent nearly half a billion dollars in essential investment.

We take our responsibility to ratepayers and property owners seriously. That means pursuing every available funding source aggressively and being transparent about what we’ve secured, what we’re pursuing, and where the gaps remain.

Current funding mechanisms:

To date, the District has secured $31.5 million in grant funding through the California Department of Water Resources, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, and other state and federal sources. Every dollar secured has gone directly toward engineering, environmental review, permitting, design work, and construction, bringing all three projects to their current state of readiness. Other successfully completed grant funded projects include the Freeman Diversion and Inverted Siphon.

The District is committed to maximizing grant funding across all three projects. To that end, we have established a dedicated internal Grant Task Force, drawing together staff from Engineering, Environmental Services, Finance, and Human Resources, to identify, pursue, and manage every viable grant opportunity available to the District. This cross-functional team ensures that no funding opportunity goes unexamined and that applications are prepared with the rigor and coordination they require.

The District has also engaged state and federal legislative representatives to seek direct appropriations in support of the Santa Felicia Dam, Freeman Diversion, and Extraction Barrier Brackish Water Treatment projects. Those efforts are ongoing. Like grants, however, appropriations are discretionary and cannot be the sole source of a capital funding plan of this scale and urgency.

Through the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the District has secured $13 million in low-interest loan commitments. Those funds have been put to work, covering the engineering, environmental review, permitting, and design costs that have brought all three projects from concept to construction-ready. Because of that investment, these are not speculative proposals. They are projects with designs in place, regulatory groundwork laid, and a clear path to construction.

The District is now actively seeking an additional $83 million in WIFIA financing to cover a portion of construction costs. That figure represents the realistic ceiling of what the program can provide given the District’s existing debt obligations and repayment capacity. We have pursued this avenue as far as it can go. Taking on additional loan debt beyond that threshold would place unsustainable pressure on the District’s operating budget and would not be fiscally responsible.

The District has also explored financing through the State Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (SWIFA) and the State Revolving Fund (SRF). These programs, like WIFIA, offer valuable low-interest financing, but they are not a complete solution for a capital program of this scale.

THE GAP

Even with every grant secured, every loan committed, and every appropriation pursued, a significant funding gap remains. The District is actively evaluating the most responsible and equitable path forward to close that gap, and we are committed to keeping our community informed every step of the way.

What you can do