The Goleta Water District, on Nov. 7, celebrated the 80th anniversary of its founding by a vote of the people in 1944. The anniversary was marked with a ribbon cutting for the district’s new Battery Storage Project.
Initially relying solely on groundwater wells, the district’s creation on Nov. 17, 1944 led to significant investments in water infrastructure in the Goleta Valley during the 1950s and ’60s.
Much of that original infrastructure, including transmission pipes and wells, was built before 1970 and continues to serve the community today, the city said. This aging infrastructure will increasingly require significant maintenance and eventual replacement in the coming decades.
“Even as we are celebrating this important milestone, we are planning for the future,” said Farfalla Borah, district board president. “Delivering water is resource and capital-intensive — it requires a tremendous amount of equipment and energy to provide a reliable supply of quality water to your tap.
“This new battery storage project is just a small piece of the district’s larger efforts to control costs and increase resiliency during emergencies by offsetting our average annual electricity usage under the Net Zero Initiative with solar projects that can provide renewable energy.”
A number of local elected officials attended the event to mark the occasion, including Congressman Salud Carbajal, Supervisor Joan Hartmann, as well as representatives from the offices of Assemblymember Gregg Hart and Supervisor Laura Capps.
“Just as every family who lives here has a right to clean water, so too should we consider that our communities also have a right to see those rights protected from climate change,” Carbajal said. “And upholding those rights is a task that is shared across all levels of government: from our utilities like Goleta Water District to our local, regional, state and federal governments.
“In honor of Goleta Water District’s 80th anniversary, I commend their team for employing technologies that will help us withstand the climate crisis already upon us,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to work in Congress to get Goleta the resources it needs to continue its resilience and net zero initiatives, and helping the Central Coast adapt to our new climate reality.”
Ongoing investments in key projects will help maintain service reliability for both current and future customers, and through the use of federal and state grants the district can further balance the cost of these projects, according to the city.
Key recent funding sources have included:
$2 million USBR WaterSmart Grant for the Hope Well (the district’s first new well in over 40 years and critical to ensuring ongoing groundwater production reliability).
Nearly $400,000 from Cal OES/FEMA for a seismic vulnerability study.
$936,000 in California Public Utilities Commission Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) grant funding for the Battery Storage Project.
“Decisions made today to invest in critical projects and embrace forward-thinking initiatives will help ensure sustainable water service for decades to come,” said Lauren Hanson, board vice president.
“With strategic investments, cost-effective operations, and careful water supply management we can deliver on the district’s mission to provide a reliable supply of quality water and the most reasonable cost to current and future customers,” Hanson said.