Worried About Drought? Wells? We Are Too. Come To Our Next Board Meeting.
By Sharon Byrne   |   August 12, 2021

If you’re new to Montecito and California, you’ll want to pay extra attention right now. Wildfires are burning presently in Greece, Italy, Turkey, British Columbia, and of course, here in California. The Dixie Fire has now burned 249,000 acres. It ranks No. 11, as of today, in largest California wildfires in history. The Thomas Fire, […]

The Privatization of Our Water is a Bad Idea, as is Combining Districts
By Robert Roebuck   |   May 6, 2021

The Community Voices article in the April 15 edition of the Montecito Journal by Charles C. Read and Eileen White Read attempted to identify the motive for suggesting that the Montecito Water District (MWD) and Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) should merge.  However, it reminded me of what someone told me several years ago. That person […]

 

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An Unknown Roadmap: Breaking Down Montecito’s Recycling Plan Options
By Bob Hazard   |   April 29, 2021

Last Thursday, the Montecito Water District and Montecito Sanitary District held a joint strategic planning meeting to discuss options for a joint effort to recycle most of the 500,000 gallons a day of treated Montecito wastewater, now being dumped into 35 feet of ocean water, 1,500 feet off Butterfly Beach in Montecito, a practice whose […]

Montecito Water District’s Newest Hire Aims to Strengthen Our Underground Water Supply
By Nick Schou   |   December 3, 2020

Six years ago, former California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law landmark water management legislation consisting of several bills which bundled together were called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The law made history by finally mandating a statewide campaign to protect and preserve the groundwater basins that collectively make up the reserves of California’s […]

Candidates Throw Their Hats in the Ring
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 13, 2020

Last week was the candidate filing period deadline for many local elections, including the Montecito Fire Protection District and Montecito Water District boards of directors. This week marks the deadline period for both public schools in Montecito (Cold Spring School and Montecito Union), as well as for the Montecito Sanitary District board. At Montecito Fire […]

Why Did it Take 32 Years for Montecito to Cut a Desal Deal with the City of Santa Barbara? (Part II)
By Bob Hazard   |   July 9, 2020

The story of desalination in Santa Barbara dates back 32 years. Its plot, with all its twists and turns, rivals the movie, Chinatown, a tale of manipulation of water in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Faced with the threat of drought in the late 1980s, the City of Santa Barbara, the Montecito Water District and […]

A Few Things Everyone in Montecito Should Know About Water Part 2
By Carolee Krieger   |   July 9, 2020

The San Francisco Bay Delta, the State Water Project, and Why Montecito Should Care Less than a year after being elected, the new board of the Montecito Water District is proposing changes to its rate structure and water source portfolio. Definitely a good thing to be considering, but there’s a lot we all need to […]

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  • No Mas Agua!
    By Nick Schou   |   July 2, 2020

    Apologies for the misleading headline, but it’s worth celebrating that the Montecito Journal’s six-part series on our town’s complex water politics is finally complete! On June 25, Montecito’s Water Board made history by voting unanimously to approve a deal with Santa Barbara that will guarantee us a local and reliable source of water for the […]

    Montecito Association
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 11, 2020

    Nick Turner, General Manager of the Montecito Water District, gave a presentation to the Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, in advance of next week’s special MWD Board Meeting (June 15) to discuss the District’s proposed Water Supply Agreement with the City of Santa Barbara and Rate Study, and a Public Hearing on […]

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    A Modest Proposal
    By Nick Schou   |   June 11, 2020

    From 1 to 3 pm on the afternoon of June 15, the Montecito Water District (MWD) will hold an online hearing in which Nick Turner, the agency’s executive director, will explain several proposed water rate changes that will affect roughly 4,000 households in Montecito and Summerland, not to mention several major luxury hotels and private […]

    There Will Be Water
    By Nick Schou   |   June 4, 2020

    On November 10, 2011, the Montecito Water District (MWD), which was created to provide residents with drinkable water, will celebrate its centennial anniversary. It’s an auspicious occasion, because Montecito doesn’t really have any water, at least none you can find under the soil. In fact, according to countless studies – okay, only 18 studies – […]

    Montecito’s Water Supply Much Improved. Still Needs Love, Luck, and Lucre
    By Nick Schou   |   May 28, 2020

    An Historic Vote On June 25, the five members of Montecito Water District’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing – almost certainly to take place via Zoom – to discuss a proposed change in water rates for its customer base of roughly 4,000 Montecito households. The hearing will allow affected ratepayers as well […]

    Will Montecito Go Full Speed Ahead with Desalinated Water?
    By Nick Schou   |   May 21, 2020

    This month, roughly 4,600 households in Montecito and Summerland received a special insert along with their monthly water bill. “WATER RATE UPDATE!” the flyer declared in urgent all caps, adding that the “Montecito Water District has Plans for Delivering a Secure Water Future.” Stating that its customers “want their drinking water to come from local, […]

    Will Montecito Go Full Speed Ahead with Desalinated Water?
    By Nick Schou   |   May 17, 2020

    This month, roughly 4,600 households in Montecito and Summerland received a special insert along with their monthly water bill. “WATER RATE UPDATE!” the flyer declared in urgent all caps, adding that the “Montecito Water District has Plans for Delivering a Secure Water Future.” Stating that its customers “want their drinking water to come from local, […]

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