Oxnard, CA (July 1, 2026) — The United Water Conservation District Board of Directors voted unanimously June 10, 2026, to place a $350 million General Obligation Bond Measure before voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot, taking the first formal step toward funding its capital plan focused on three priority projects critical to the region’s long-term water supply.
“The projects this bond would fund are not optional,” said General Manager Mauricio Guardado. “They are required by regulators, driven by court obligations, and essential to protecting the groundwater our communities depend on.”
The Santa Felicia Dam Safety Improvement Project addresses seismic and flood capacity upgrades required by the California Division of Safety of Dams and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, protecting the approximately 237,000 residents downstream. The Freeman Diversion Improvement Project fulfills a binding federal court judgment requiring fish passage upgrades, with the added benefit of increasing annual groundwater recharge by 5,000 to 8,000 acre-feet per year. The Extraction Barrier and Brackish Water Treatment Project would help halt advancing seawater intrusion into the Oxnard Plain groundwater basin and is a cornerstone of the region’s state-mandated Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
United Water has pursued every available outside funding source, including grants, low-interest federal loans through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, and State Revolving Fund financing, securing $31.5 million in grants and up to $83 million in low-interest federal financing. The bond would close the gap that secured funding sources cannot cover, without moving to rate increases.
“There is a great deal hanging in the balance, and it was important to this Board that voters have their say in how we move forward,” said Board President Lynn Maulhardt.
Voters can learn more about the measure, read the Bond Report, and submit questions at unitedwater.org/bond