The Goleta Groundwater Basin is a reliable source of ongoing supply as well as a supplemental source of water in emergency or drought situations. The 1989 Wright Judgment and 1991 voter-approved SAFE Ordinance set forth a complex set of management parameters for the groundwater basin including pumping limits, storage requirements, allowed uses, and the establishment and maintenance of a Drought Buffer. The District has a water right to pump and treat 2,350 AFY, or about 14 percent of customer demand. The portion of the annual water right not used by the District is stored in the Basin for use in dry years. As of 2013, the District has approximately 50,000 AF of water stored in the Basin.
Six wells owned and operated by the District can collectively pump up to 4,000 AF per year under normal conditions. Two current well rehabilitation projects will increase the District pumping capacity by 40 percent. The District also uses these wells to inject excess water from Lake Cachuma into the groundwater Basin during wet winters, providing additional stored water for future use during dry periods. Additionally, the wells and aquifer storage can provide a substantial backup source of quality water in the event that Lake Cachuma water is temporarily reduced by a drought, earthquake, or other emergency.
The District completed an extensive Groundwater Management Plan in 2010, available online here.