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The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) and our water agency partners ensure that accessing safe, reliable H2O is as easy as a turn of the tap. High-quality, potable water (drinking water) is always available to your home or business at any time you need it. Whether you are turning on your shower for a morning wake-up, setting up the sprinkler to water your garden on a sizzling summer afternoon or guzzling… Read More
When you pour some cool tap water into a glass on a warm fall afternoon, enjoy a shower after a long day of work or throw a load of clothes in your washing machine, chances are that you are not thinking about the quality of your water. And that’s the goal. Teams of highly skilled water quality experts at your local water agency regularly test your water thousands of times per year… Read More
Earthquakes are a reality for over 39 million residents living in California. While the state is known for its beautiful beaches, glamorous Hollywood scene and nature, it’s difficult to think about California and not make the connection with earthquakes. With the recent quakes, many Californians are reminded of this eminent reality, but are they prepared? The Southern Earthquake Center developed the Community Fault Model database and has documented over 140 faults considered capable… Read More
In the Santa Ana River Watershed, water distributed to customers by water purveyors undergoes regular, rigorous testing to ensure it is meeting all state and federal standards. Up next in ensuring that water continues to meet these high standards set forth in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act is the monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, which include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and many… Read More
Imagine waking up in the morning and having no way to brush your teeth, take a shower, or use the bathroom. You go into the kitchen and you have no water to cook with, wash dishes, or even to drink. Over two billion people in the world live without access to a safely managed drinking water service, free from contamination. For the past 26 years the United Nations (UN) has designated March… Read More
Water is a finite resource. We cannot make more of it. The same water on earth today is the same water that was here during the times that dinosaurs roamed. Southern California’s dry climate with little rainfall requires the need for a sustainable and secure supply for water. With record breaking dry periods, such as the most-recent drought that took place over the course of five years from 2012 to 2017, water… Read More
Early settlements and towns were always built near a source of water. Without water humans cannot live. Accordingly, the California drought has brought on threats of limited water available to grow crops and meet the demands of our thirsty state. Contrary to history, which originally had water as the impetus in choosing a final location for human civilizations to settle, modernized infrastructure has changed all of that. How does the history of… Read More
California’s drought remains at the forefront of events affecting residents, businesses and government throughout the State. Included in the topic of drought, Californians continue to hear about concerns with snowpack levels. Substantial snowpack is the determining factor to end the drought. With more than four years in a drought and the State’s major reservoirs are holding less than historical averages in non-drought years, snowpack with high water content is essential to replenish… Read More
Did you know that new water cannot be created? The water that we have on earth is the same water that existed billions of years ago. It goes through the water cycle and is naturally recycled over and over again. In this manner, water cycles through the Santa Ana River Watershed. The Watershed flows over 100 miles, starting in the San Bernardino Mountains, combines with snow melt and eventually ends up in… Read More
