Contact: Patrick Breen, Water Resources Manager at (831) 883-5951 office or email at pbreen@mcwd.org or customerservice@mcwd.org
It's Groundwater Week. Here's Why It Matters.
March 5-11 is National Groundwater Awareness Week. Since groundwater is the main source of water for Marina Coast Water District (MCWD) customers in Marina, Seaside, and the Ord Community, it is a good time to learn more about this precious resource and how MCWD is protecting and managing it to meet our community's water needs.
Marina Coast Water District maintains a comprehensive program to manage groundwater in collaboration with our many partners who share this valuable resource. Below are some highlights of these extensive groundwater management actions.
Managing Our Groundwater for the Long-Term
Marina Coast Water District has been implementing its long-term, 20-year Groundwater Sustainability Plan which provides a detailed roadmap on how the District will manage existing groundwater supplies and develop new supplies to meet long-term water needs.
Preventing Seawater Intrusion. An example of one project called for in the Sustainability Plan is to inject water into the ground near the coast that will provide a wall of fresh water and keep seawater from flowing inland. This barrier would prevent contamination of District groundwater wells with seawater. It is a collaborative effort by MCWD and the Salinas Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency.
Indirect Potable Reuse of Recycled Water. This year, staff completed a study showing how the District could inject recycled water into the groundwater aquifer and store it for future use.
The District has applied for a $9 million grant to help implement the Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
Monitoring Wells in Collaboration with Neighboring Water Agencies
MCWD staff have been working with the Seaside Watermaster and Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) to install wells in the coming year that will monitor for seawater intrusion.
Collaborating on Long-Term Groundwater Management
MCWD is participating in the Regional Deep Aquifer Study. The Study will provide a greater understanding of the deep aquifer—its breadth and size, safe yield, and more. Marina Coast Water District is undertaking this effort with urban and agricultural users in the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin.
Reliable Partner and Leader in the Center of the Groundwater Basin
The major water resources in the region all intersect in MCWD. The District owns a desalination plant, shares ownership in a water recycling plant, and has aquifer storage and recovery facilities within its boundaries along with extensive groundwater rights. To share costs and ensure future reliable supplies for all, the District works extensively with Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Monterey County Water Resources Agency, Seaside Watermaster, City of Marina, City of Seaside, City of Del Rey Oaks, City of Monterey, and California State University Monterey Bay.
The MCWD will continue to provide customers with high-quality water and wastewater services through effective planning, management, and development of water resources in an environmentally sensitive manner.