Soquel Creek Water District Awarded $200,000 Grant to Help Monitor At-risk Groundwater Supply

Soquel, California [July 25, 2013] – A $200,000 grant from the State of California will help the Soquel Creek Water District better monitor and protect the limited, at-risk groundwater supply it currently relies on for all of its customers water needs. Groundwater levels have been drawn down too low creating the possibility for ocean water to seep inland and contaminate the drinking water supply, known as seawater intrusion.  

“Protecting our community’s groundwater supply from seawater intrusion is our top priority,” said the District’s new General Manager, Kim Adamson. 
 
The grant, given through the Department of Water Resources, will partially fund the drilling of two new monitoring wells in the Aptos area that will not produce water, but will only collect data on groundwater levels and salt content.  Currently, more than 80 monitoring wells provide information on groundwater conditions in the Soquel-Aptos area. The groundwater supply is shared by the District, the City of Santa Cruz, Central Water District, and many private well owners including residences, Cabrillo College and Seascape Golf Course. 

To replenish the groundwater supply and prevent seawater intrusion in the long term, the amount of water being pumped from the ground needs to be reduced by 35% year-round for at least 20 years. Along with increased conservation, the District and the City of Santa Cruz are evaluating a seawater desalination project as a supplemental water supply. 

The Soquel Creek Water District is a nonprofit, local government agency providing water to Capitola, Aptos, La Selva Beach, Opal Cliffs, Rio Del Mar, Seascape and Soquel.