Water Supply

CVWD’s drinking water comes from two primary sources: local groundwater and imported water. CVWD manages its supply and demand with careful analysis regarding customer need and population estimates to ensure there will be an adequate supply of clean, reliable water into the future. CVWD, like most other agencies, creates a Water Supply Master Plan every few years that helps guide our operations and water supply investments.

CVWD has a diverse water supply portfolio that helps us decrease our dependence on imported water. Finding new sources of water is critical to ensuring water supply reliability for our customers. CVWD has been building a network of wells to take advantage of local groundwater supplies. This helps to ensure reliability at a reasonable cost. The District's diversified supply ensures a reliable water supply during times of drought, regulatory constraints and other emergencies. CVWD maintains 34 reservoirs with a total capacity to store 95 million gallons of water in our service area. Additionally, our diverse water supply portfolio helps to keep rates as low as possible.

Local Canyon and Tunnel Water

Three percent of the water delivered to CVWD consumers is local canyon and tunnel water that flows out of our canyons and foothills, often a combination of surface and groundwater. These sources include Cucamonga Canyon, Day Canyon, Deer Canyon, East Etiwanda Canyon, and a number of tunnels in the local mountains. This water is treated at CVWD’s Arthur H. Bridge or Lloyd W. Michael Treatment Plants, flows into storage reservoirs, and then into the distribution system to consumers.

Imported Water

CVWD purchases 46 percent of its water through the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, who purchases water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), a regional water wholesaler that delivers imported water from the State Water Project. State Water Project water originates in Northern California in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and makes a 400 mile journey to the CVWD service area. This water is treated at CVWD’s Lloyd W. Michael Water Treatment Plant, the largest conventional treatment plant in the region. The treated water is stored in reservoirs until it is needed by consumers.

The State Water Project, also known as the California Aqueduct, transports water 600 miles from Northern California to the southern portion of the state. It is owned and operated by the State of California and is the longest aqueduct system in the world, featuring 23 dams and reservoirs, 22 pumping plants that lift water to heights of 3,500 feet, and six power plants. The aqueduct is comprised of 473 miles of canals, 175 miles of pipeline and 20 miles of tunnels.

Recycled Water

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) treats all the wastewater from the CVWD service area. The IEUA currently receives over 50 million gallons per day of wastewater from its regional treatment plants. This water is treated to Title 22 regulations set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board and distributed throughout the service area. IEUA delivers recycled water for agriculture, municipal irrigation, industrial uses and for groundwater replenishment. CVWD provides recycled water for landscape irrigation purposes to parks, medians and parkways, schools, golf courses, and other non-potable needs. Every gallon of recycled water and cleaned groundwater we use saves a gallon of drinking water.