LAFCO
Final Camrosa MSR 2020 04 20
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Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission
Camrosa Water District
Municipal Service Review
Prepared By:
Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission
801 S. Victoria Avenue, Suite 301
Ventura, CA 93003
Accepted by the Commission on April 20, 2022
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Maps .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Profile ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Growth and Population Projections .................................................................................................. 6
Review of Municipal Services ............................................................................................................ 7
Sphere of Influence .......................................................................................................................... 17
Written Determinations................................................................................................................... 18
Introduction
Purpose of the Municipal Service Review
Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCos) exist in each county in California and were
formed for the purpose of administering state law and local policies relating to the
establishment and revision of local government boundaries. According to the Cortese-Knox-
Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (California Government Code § 56000
et seq.), LAFCo’s purposes are to:
• discourage urban sprawl;
• preserve open space and prime agricultural land;
• ensure efficient provision of government services; and
• encourage the orderly formation and development of local agencies.
To achieve these purposes, LAFCos are responsible for coordinating logical and timely changes
in local government boundaries (such as annexations), conducting special studies that identify
ways to reorganize and streamline governmental structure, and determining a sphere of
influence for each city and special district over which they have authority.
A sphere of influence is a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local
agency, as determined by LAFCo (Government Code § 56076). Beginning in 2001, each LAFCo
was required to review, and as necessary, update the sphere of each city and special district on
or before January 1, 2008, and every five years thereafter (Government Code § 56425(g)).
Government Code § 56430(a) provides that in order to determine or update a sphere of
influence, LAFCo shall prepare a Municipal Service Review (MSR) and make written
determinations relating to the following seven factors:
1. Growth and population projections for the affected area.
2. The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities
within or contiguous to the sphere of influence.
3. Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and
infrastructure needs or deficiencies including needs or deficiencies related to sewers,
municipal and industrial water, and structural fire protection in any disadvantaged,
unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence.
4. Financial ability of agencies to provide services.
5. Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities.
6. Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and
operational efficiencies.
7. Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by
Commission policy.
MSRs are not prepared for counties, but are prepared for special districts including those
governed by a county Board of Supervisors. Additionally, while LAFCos are authorized to
prepare studies relating to their role as boundary agencies, they have no investigative
authority.
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LAFCo staff prepared this MSR for Camrosa Water District (District) using information obtained
from multiple sources, including, but not limited to:
• MSR Questionnaire: A questionnaire supplied by LAFCo elicited general information
about the District (e.g., contact information, governing body, financial information), as
well as service-specific data;
• Budget: The adopted budget provided information regarding services and funding
levels;
• General Plans: Ventura County and City of Camarillo General Plans provided
information regarding land use, populations, and service levels;
• District Documents: Various District documents provided supplementary information
relating to service provision;
• Historical MSR: The 2004 MSR provided certain data that remain relevant and accurate
for inclusion in the current MSR;
• District Website: The District’s website provided supplementary and clarifying
information; and
• District Staff: District staff provided supplementary and clarifying information.
Organization of the MSR
This report is organized into several sections, as follows:
• Maps: A general location map and the official LAFCo map of the District;
• Profile: Summary profile of information about the District, including contact
information, governing body, summary financial information, and staffing levels;
• Growth and Population Projections: Details of past, current, and projected population
for the District;
• Review of Municipal Services: Discussion of the municipal services that the District
provides;
• Sphere of Influence: Discussion of the existing sphere of influence of the District and
potential modifications to the sphere; and
• Written Determinations: Recommended determinations for each of the seven
mandatory factors for the District.
The Commission’s acceptance of the MSR and adoption of written determinations will be
memorialized through the adoption of a resolution that addresses each of the seven mandatory
factors based on the Written Determinations section of the MSR.
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Maps
Figure 1: Location Map
Figure 2: Official LAFCo Map
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Profile
The Camrosa Water District (District) was formed as the Camarillo Water District in 1962,
renamed as the Camrosa County Water District in 1965, and then renamed again as the
Camrosa Water District in 1987. It was formed in 1962 to provide water service to the areas of
eastern Camarillo and the Santa Rosa Valley, and in 1964 began providing sanitary sewer
collection and treatment services within a portion of its service area. It currently provides
potable and nonpotable/recycled water to the eastern part of the City of Camarillo
(approximately 7 square miles, primarily the area known as Mission Oaks), the northernmost
part of the City of Thousand Oaks (approximately 1.5 square miles), and unincorporated areas
in the vicinity of Camarillo (including California State University Channel Islands), the Santa Rosa
Valley, and the Tierra Rejada Valley (approximately 22 square miles). The District serves both
urban and agricultural customers.
The District’s mission is provided as follows:
The Mission of Camrosa Water District is to meet the current and future needs of the
community for water and sanitary services. Our products and services will be reliable,
affordable, responsive and of high quality. At the same time, the District will prudently
manage and maintain the District's assets, honor the public’s trust, and maintain public
awareness and confidence in the District’s activities.
Contact Information
District Manager Tony Stafford
District Office 7385 Santa Rosa Road, Camarillo, CA 93012
Mailing Address 7385 Santa Rosa Road, Camarillo, CA 93012
Phone Number (805) 388-0226
Website camrosa.com
E-mail Address tstafford@camrosa.com
Governance Information
Formation Date October 17, 1962
Legal Authority Water Code Section 30000 (County Water District Law)
Type of District Independent
Board of Directors Five members.
Elected by voting district to staggered, four-year terms of office
(elections held in even-numbered years).
Board Meetings 2nd and 4th Thursday of most months, beginning at 5:00 p.m., located
at 7385 Santa Rosa Road, Camarillo, CA 93012
Services Provided
The District is authorized to provide potable water service, wastewater collection and treatment
service, and nonpotable/recycled water service.
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Population and Area Information
Population1 Area (square miles)
Jurisdictional Area 32,700 30.16
Sphere of Influence Area 32,700 30.16
Staffing – Full Time Equivalent Positions2
Executive/Management Professional/Support Operational Total
8 4 14 26
Revenues Expenditures
Primary Revenue Sources Primary Expenses
Water Sales Water Purchases
Service Charges Salaries and Benefits
Property Taxes Professional Services
Fiscal Year 2021-22 Revenues (Budget) Fiscal Year 2021-22 Expenditures (Budget)
$ 24,541,900 $ 21,542,570
Public Agencies with Overlapping Jurisdiction
PCarilmlegaurays E Mxpuennicdipitaul rWesa ter District United Water Conservation District
Camarillo Health Care District Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
Camarillo Sanitary District Ventura County Fire Protection District
Camrosa Water District Ventura County Resource Conservation District
City of Camarillo Ventura County Service Area No. 14
City of Thousand Oaks Ventura County Service Area No. 32
Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Ventura County Transportation Commission
Gold Coast Transit District Ventura County Watershed Protection District
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Ventura Regional Sanitation District
Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District
1 Source: 2020 UWMP estimate for 2020.
2 Source: District staff.
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Growth and Population Projections
LAFCo is required to project the growth and population for the affected area (Government
Code § 56430(a)(1)).
According to the District’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) (June 24, 2021), the
estimated 2020 population within the District’s jurisdictional boundary and sphere of influence
was 32,700. The UWMP projects that the population within the District will grow to 33,648 by
2030 and to 34,590 by 2040, which is in part attributable to growth management limitations
established by the County’s voter-approved Save Agricultural and Open Space (SOAR)
ordinance and the City’s voter-approved growth ordinance to limit residential development to
400 units annually. The contemplated development of student housing adjacent to the
California State University at Channel Islands (CSUCI) is anticipated to increase university
housing units by 598 within the District’s service area.
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Review of Municipal Services
The review of the District’s services is based on provisions of state law which require LAFCo to
make determinations regarding the present and planned capacity of public facilities, the
adequacy of public services, infrastructure needs and deficiencies, and the District’s financial
ability to provide these services (Government Code § 56430(a)(3)).
Wastewater Services
In 1964, the District began providing wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal within a
portion of its service area. The District now provides wastewater services to the areas within
the City of Camarillo located east of Calleguas Creek and north of the 101 Freeway3.
Additionally, the District provides wastewater collection service to the Cornell Ranch tract area
within the City of Thousand Oaks, and operates a lift station that conveys wastewater into the
City’s collection system. The District’s collection system consists of 73 miles of sewer pipeline,
and it serves 8,843 customers. The District’s sewer service area is depicted in Figure 3, below.
Figure 3: Sewer Service Area for Camrosa Water District (Image Source: Camrosa Water District)
Wastewater service areas for the Camrosa Water District and the Camarillo Sanitary District are
the result of a historical agreement negotiated between the two agencies. In the portions of
the Camrosa Water District’s jurisdiction that overlap the City of Camarillo’s jurisdictional area,
the District collects wastewater and conveys it to the Camrosa Water Reclamation Facility
(CWRF), while in the portions of the District’s service area south of Highway 101 (excluding
CSUCI), wastewater is collected by the Camarillo Sanitary District and treated at the Camarillo
3 The Camarillo Sanitary District provides wastewater collection and treatment service within that portion of the
City located west of Calleguas Creek and south of the 101 Freeway, which is located within the Camrosa Water
District’s jurisdictional area.
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Sanitary District’s Water Reclamation Plant located within its jurisdictional boundaries. The
location of the CWRF is shown in Figure 4, below.
According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, the District owns and operates the CWRF, which treats
approximately 1.4 million gallons per day (MGD) and has a design capacity of 2.25 MGD (with a
peak-flow capacity of 3.24 MGD).4
Figure 4: Location of Camrosa
Wastewater Reclamation Facility
(Sources: Google Maps (2022) and
Pictometry (2019))
The Camarillo Sanitary District’s wastewater treatment facility has a design capacity of 7.25
MGD and currently treats approximately 3.6 MGD. The Camarillo Sanitary District’s facility is
able to accept discharge from the Camrosa Water District during times of unscheduled
interrupted service or maintenance activities.
Potable Water Services
Service Area
The District provides potable water to the eastern part of the City of Camarillo (approximately
seven square miles, primarily within the Mission Oaks area), the northernmost part of the City
of Thousand Oaks5 (approximately 1.5 square miles), and unincorporated areas (approximately
22 square miles) including CSUCI (south of the City of Camarillo), the Santa Rosa Valley (east of
the City of Camarillo), and the Tierra Rejada Valley (south of the City of Moorpark and north of
the City of Thousand Oaks). The area where the District currently provides potable water
service is depicted in Figure 5, below.
4 According to District staff, the open-ditch construction of the CWRF, clarifiers, and chlorine contact chamber are
intended to absorb the diurnal flow of municipal sewage. Sequential chlorination within the chlorine contact
chamber enables the District to handle peak flow volumes.
5 The District provides sewer collection and conveyance services for the area of the City of Thousand Oaks that is
within its boundaries. Wastewater is conveyed to the City of Thousand Oaks’ wastewater treatment facility.
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Figure 5: Potable Water Service Area for Camrosa Water District (Image Source: Camrosa Water District)
According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, in 2020, the District supplied approximately 7,580 acre
feet (AF) of potable water to 8,121 customers, with more than half of the total potable demand
generated by single-family residential uses, and the remaining demand coming from other
municipal, industrial, agricultural, and institutional uses. The District operates approximately
222 miles of water lines.
The District’s water service area includes the CSUCI campus, which is noncontiguous to the rest
of the District, and is located south of the City of Camarillo and east of Lewis Road. The District
provides water to the university campus through a master meter, and CSUCI owns and operates
the distribution system within the campus. The District has provided water service to the
territory currently occupied by CSUCI since 1981.
According to the 2020 UWMP, the District in 2000 absorbed the Santa Rosa Mutual Water
Company, which had served a community within the Santa Rosa Valley. The District
constructed new potable pipelines to serve its new customers, and converted the existing
distribution system to the District’s first nonpotable water distribution system.
Potable Water Supply – Groundwater
The District’s primary source of drinking water is local groundwater. The District’s jurisdictional
area overlies three groundwater basins. The District operates 12 wells that draw from local
groundwater basins, nine of which connect to the potable water system, and three of which
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connect to the nonpotable system. Potable water wells draw from the Pleasant Valley Basin
(three wells), Santa Rosa Basin (five wells), and Tierra Rejada Basin (one well).
Figure 6: Underlying Groundwater Basins (Source: California Department of Water Resources, 2019)
Portions of the Pleasant Valley Basin and the western Santa Rosa Basin fall under the
jurisdiction of the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency (FCGMA). In 2020, the
District extracted 825 AF from the Pleasant Valley Basin within the FCGMA boundary,
representing an increase from 761 AF in 2015. The District’s FCGMA historical annual allocation
in the Pleasant Valley Basin is 806.63 AFY, but under the FCGMA’s new allocation system
implemented in October 2020, the District’s allocation is currently 690.04 AFY.6 The District
accumulates additional pumping allocations through the Conejo Creek Water Pumping
Program, described below.
The Round Mountain Water Treatment Plant (RMWTP), a 1.0 MGD brackish water desalination
facility, is supplied by the University Well, which produces from the Pleasant Valley Basin
outside the jurisdiction of the FCGMA. The RMWTP was constructed in 2014 and is
instrumental to the District’s long-term strategy to permanently reduce demand on imported
water. The facility produces approximately 800 AFY of potable water.
6 The District is currently awaiting a determination from the FCGMA regarding its request for a variance from its
current extraction allocation of 690.04 AFY, citing non-production of its well for maintenance and rehabilitation
during the baseline period used to determine the new allocation.
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Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program
The Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program was established by the FCGMA through Resolution
2014-01. The program enables the District to receive FCGMA pumping credits in the Pleasant
Valley Basin on a one-to-one basis for every acre-foot of Conejo Creek water the District
delivers to the Pleasant Valley County Water District (PVCWD). There is no annual maximum on
the District’s accumulation of credits and credits do not expire; however, the District is allowed
to pump no more than 4,500 AFY of Conejo Creek Pumping Program credits. This program is
mutually beneficial as it reduces the volume of water pumped by PVCWD in the southern
portion of the Pleasant Valley Basin where groundwater levels are depressed and allows the
District to pump additional water from its wells in the northeast Pleasant Valley Basin where
groundwater levels are higher. As of December 31, 2021, the District had accumulated
27,424.37 AF under the Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program, and exercised 477.78 AF of its
pumping credits earned under the program.
Potable Water Supply – Imported Water
In addition to local groundwater, the District imports supplemental potable water primarily
from the State Water Project (which is occasionally supplemented with water from the
Colorado River Aqueduct)7 supplied by the Calleguas Municipal Water District (CMWD).
Imported water comprises between 30 to 70 percent of the District’s potable water portfolio,
depending on the status of the District’s local sources. Over the past 10 years, imported water
purchases have averaged 5,338 AFY (ranging from 3,709 AFY in Fiscal Year 2017 to 6,942 AFY in
Fiscal Year 2014). Over the last 25 years, the District has reduced its reliance on imported
water. In the late 1990s, 85 percent of the total water supply by the District was imported; in
2018, imported water supply comprised 25 percent of total supply. The District plans to
continue reducing its reliance on imported water, with a goal of providing less than 25 percent
of potable supplies through imported water.
Under the District’s current treatment regime, imported water supply is critical for blending
some local groundwater sources to meet water quality objectives, and to supply customers at
higher elevations who cannot accommodate delivery of the District’s local water supplies.
Imported supplies are the most expensive of the District’s supply sources, are provided subject
to availability, and are vulnerable to disruption of the conveyance system. However, imported
water continues to represent an essential component of the District’s diverse supply portfolio.
Potable Water Supply and Demand
In 1990, the District’s imported water purchases peaked at 11,479 AF. As a result of increasing
costs for municipal water, the District has developed several local-resource projects to diversify
its supply portfolio. In 2000, the District absorbed the Santa Rosa Mutual Water Company,
which resulted in the acquisition of four groundwater wells and a doubling of the District’s
7 State Water Project water and Colorado River Aqueduct water are supplied by the Calleguas Municipal Water
District (a wholesaler of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California).
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groundwater production. In 2014, the District began production at the RMWTP (a 1 MGD
brackish groundwater desalination facility near CSUCI) to produce drinking water from a
portion of the eastern Pleasant Valley Basin that is outside the jurisdictional boundary of the
FCGMA. The District has since added two other wells to its potable distribution system,
bringing the number of potable groundwater production wells to nine.
As imported water continues to increase in price and decrease in reliability, the District
continues to prioritize the development of local water resources to mitigate the effect of
imported supply availability fluctuations (as demonstrated by the two consecutive five-percent
allocations of State Water Project water in 2021 and 2022). The District’s imports from the
CMWD have averaged 5,338 AFY over the past 10 years, with a high in Fiscal Year 2014 of 6,942
AF and a low in Fiscal Year 2017 of 3,709 AF. The majority of imported water serves municipal
and industrial uses, and most of the District’s agricultural water customers now rely on the
District’s nonpotable water system.
According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, total potable water demand within its service area was
7,580 AF in 2020, averaging 7,483 during the most recent five-year period. Projected demand
for potable water is expected to reach 7,642 AFY by 2030 and 8,042 AFY by 2040. Potable
water supply during 2020 was 8,383 AF (i.e., 5,873 AF of imported water, 1,944 AF of potable
groundwater, and 566 AF of desalinated groundwater). Potable water supply is expected to be
16,600 AF by 2025 and remain at that level until at least 2040. According to the 2020 UWMP,
the District’s allocation from the CMWD is generally approximately 9,000 AFY, but it
conservatively estimates 7,900 AFY of imported supply for planning purposes. According to the
District’s 2020 UWMP, water supply is anticipated to exceed demand until at least 2040, during
normal years, single dry years, and multiple dry years, with both supply and demand estimates
remaining relatively stable. Therefore, the District’s current and future water supply appears to
be adequate to meet current and future demands.
It is worth noting that in 2009, in response to water shortage conditions, the Camrosa Water
District Board of Directors adopted a resolution to establish a temporary moratorium on
unmitigated new potable water demand. In 2012, the District made the moratorium
permanent, and in 2014, extended it to all water types (i.e., potable, nonpotable, and recycled).
Water Conservation Efforts
In May 2018, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 606 and Assembly Bill (AB) 1668,
collectively known as the Water Conservation and Drought Planning Act, which mandated that
California realize a 20 percent reduction in urban per capita water use by 2020, to be achieved
through using water more wisely, eliminating water waste, strengthening drought resilience,
and improving agricultural water use efficiency and drought planning. The District met its 2015
target water demand of 324 gallons per capita per day (GPCD), with an actual demand of 241
GPCD. The District’s 2020 UWMP included a 2020 target of 261 GPCD, and the District met that
target with a demand of 203 GPCD.
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The District promotes water use efficiency and supports these efforts on behalf of its customers
by conducting outreach to educate its customers regarding tools and habits to improve water
efficiency, presenting at schools and local events, providing tours at its facilities, and offering
rebates on water-use efficiency devices through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California. The District’s demand management measures includes use of high-efficiency clothes
washers and toilets, weather-based irrigation controllers, turf removal, and rotating nozzles.
The District believes that water conservation consisting of reduction in water use exceeding
standard efficient use should be a tool reserved for drastic supply shortages. The District’s
guiding philosophy and strategy over the past 25 years has been to develop a diversified
portfolio to buffer against climatic, legislative, and litigatory impacts to water supplies to
provide a reliable source of water for its customers.
Nonpotable/Recycled Water Services
Service Area
The District has two nonpotable water distribution systems: nonpotable surface water and
recycled water. Recycled water service is limited to outdoor irrigation needs at the CSUCI
campus and irrigation on adjacent parcels. Nonpotable water, composed of surface water from
Conejo Creek and Santa Rosa Basin groundwater, is delivered within the City of Camarillo (e.g.,
to landscaped street medians and landscaped areas within the Leisure Village community) and
within the unincorporated County area of Santa Rosa Valley, where it is the main source of
water for large agricultural properties, as well as outdoor irrigation for approximately 400
homes. The provision of nonpotable/recycled water is exempt from Government Code
§ 56133; therefore, the District is authorized to provide nonpotable water outside its
boundaries without obtaining approval from LAFCo. The areas where the District currently
provides nonpotable and nonpotable/recycled water service are depicted in Figures 7 and 8,
below.
Nonpotable Water Supply
In 2002, the Conejo Creek Diversion Facility became operational. The diversion structure, built
into the west bank of the Conejo Creek approximately 150 feet south of the 101 Freeway,
draws approximately 10,000 AFY from Conejo Creek, which consists of flows generated
primarily from treated effluent discharged from the City of Thousand Oaks’ Hill Canyon
Wastewater Treatment Plant and surface runoff from the Conejo Valley and Santa Rosa Valley.
From the diversion structure, this nonpotable surface water is pumped to the District’s storage
ponds located adjacent to CSUCI and then pumped to the District’s service area for nonpotable
irrigation at municipal and agricultural properties. Three of the wells acquired with Santa Rosa
Mutual Water Company also contribute to the District’s nonpotable distribution system.
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Figure 7: Nonpotable Water Service Area for Camrosa Water District (Image Source: Camrosa Water District)
The District sells surplus nonpotable surface water to neighboring PVCWD. Since 2014, with the
FCGMA’s establishment of the Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program, the District receives one
acre-foot of pumping credits in the Pleasant Valley Basin for each acre-foot of Conejo Creek
water the District delivers to PVCWD. Water harvested in accordance with these credits is
pumped after and in addition to the District’s historical FCGMA allocation in the Pleasant Valley
Basin. As of 2019, the District also delivers recycled water from the CWRF and the Camarillo
Sanitary District to PVCWD. Recycled water produced at the CWRF is used by CSUCI for
landscaping purposes and by surrounding farmland for irrigation purposes. The delivery of
recycled water does not result in the accrual of FCGMA pumping credits.
In 2019, the District completed the Camarillo Sanitary District Recycled Water Interconnection
project, which allows the District to receive surplus recycled water provided by the Camarillo
Sanitary District as a byproduct of the Camarillo Sanitary District’s wastewater treatment
processes. The District then sells water received from the Camarillo Sanitary District to the
PVCWD which has since 2019 maintained a reliable demand for this water. This project is
mutually beneficial in that it provides an additional source of nonpotable water supply to the
District’s portfolio, reduces groundwater pumping, and allows the Camarillo Sanitary District to
comply with requirements to cease discharge into Conejo Creek as well as avoid fees to
discharge into the CMWD’s Salinity Management Pipeline.8 Additionally, this program supports
regional water supply resilience.
8 According to the CMWD’s 2020 draft UWMP, the CMWD operates a regional Salinity Management Pipeline (SMP)
that collects brine (i.e., salty water, or “waste water” (distinct from untreated sewage/“wastewater”)) generated
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Figure 8: Recycled Water Service Area for Camrosa Water District (Image Source: Camrosa Water District)
Nonpotable/Recycled Water Supply and Demand
According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, total recycled water demand within the District was
5,985 AF in 2020, averaging 6,916 AFY during the most recent five-year period. Projected
demand for nonpotable water is expected to reach 7,410 AFY by 2030 and 7,510 AFY by 2040.
Nonpotable water supply during 2020 was 5,948 AF. Nonpotable water supply is expected to
be 10,200 AF by 2025 and remain at that level until at least 2040.
While the District is implementing projects to shift potable water demand toward nonpotable
supply, the 2020 UWMP explains that nonpotable surface water is abundant during the winter
months but that a shortage exists during the summer, resulting in greater demands on the
potable system during the summer. Furthermore, the 2020 UWMP states that future
expansion of the nonpotable system is reliant on additional storage capacity or development of
additional nonpotable supply.
Water Conservation Efforts
In addition to conservation efforts discussed above to comply with the Water Conservation and
Drought Planning Act (which mandated a 20 percent reduction in urban per capita water use by
2020), according to the District’s 2020 UWMP, the District adopted a resolution in July 2001
by groundwater desalting facilities located within its service area, as well as recycled water, and conveys that
water for beneficial reuse or safe discharge to the ocean, where natural salt levels are higher.
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requiring that new development projects include installation of dual water systems to
accommodate potable and nonpotable water lines to serve development projects, in order to
encourage nonpotable/recycled water to meet irrigation needs.
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Sphere of Influence
There have been no changes to the District’s service area that would require alterations to its
sphere of influence boundary, and no changes are anticipated in the foreseeable future.
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Written Determinations
The Commission is required to prepare a written statement of its determinations with respect
to each of the subject areas provided below (Government Code § 56430(a)).
1. Growth and population projections for the affected area
• According to the District’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) (June 21,
2021), the estimated 2020 population within the District’s jurisdictional boundary and
sphere of influence was 32,700. The UWMP projects that the population within the
District will grow to 33,648 by 2030 and to 34,590 by 2040, which is in part attributable
to growth management limitations established by the County’s voter-approved Save
Agricultural and Open Space (SOAR) ordinance and the City’s voter-approved growth
ordinance to limit residential development to 400 units annually. The contemplated
development of student housing adjacent to the California State University at Channel
Islands (CSUCI) is anticipated to increase university housing units by 598 within the
District’s service area.
2. The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or
contiguous to the sphere of influence
• A disadvantaged unincorporated community is defined as a community with an annual
median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median
household income (Government Code § 56033.5). No disadvantaged unincorporated
communities are located within or contiguous to the District’s sphere of influence.
According to Ventura LAFCo Commissioner’s Handbook Section 3.2.5, Ventura LAFCo
has identified Nyeland Acres (within the City of Oxnard’s sphere of influence to the
north of the city) and Saticoy (within the City of San Buenaventura’s sphere of influence
to the east of the city) as disadvantaged unincorporated communities.
3. Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and
infrastructure needs or deficiencies
Wastewater Services:
• The District provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal to the areas within
the City of Camarillo located east of Calleguas Creek and north of the 101 Freeway.
• The District owns and operates the Camrosa Water Reclamation Facility, which treats an
average of 1.4 MGD and has a design capacity of 2.25 MGD.
• The District provides wastewater collection service to the Cornell Ranch tract area
within the City of Thousand Oaks, and operates a lift station that conveys wastewater
into the City’s collection system for treatment and disposal.
• The Camarillo Sanitary District’s facility is able to accept discharge from the Camrosa
Water District during times of unscheduled interrupted service or maintenance
activities. The Camarillo Sanitary District’s wastewater treatment facility has a design
capacity of 7.25 million gallons per day (MGD) and currently treats approximately 3.6
MGD.
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April 20, 2022
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Potable Water Services:
• The District provides potable water within its service area, which includes the eastern
part of the City of Camarillo, the northernmost part of the City of Thousand Oaks, and
unincorporated areas including California State University at Channel Islands (south of
the City of Camarillo), the Santa Rosa Valley (east of the City of Camarillo), and the
Tierra Rejada Valley (south of the City of Moorpark and north of the City of Thousand
Oaks).
• According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, in 2020 the District supplied approximately
7,580 acre feet (AF) of potable water to 8,121 customers, with more than half of the
total potable demand generated by single-family residential uses, and the remaining
demand coming from other municipal, industrial, agricultural, and institutional uses.
Projected demand for potable water is expected to reach 7,642 acre feet per year (AFY)
by 2030 and 8,042 AFY by 2040. Potable water supply during 2020 was 8,383 AF (i.e.,
5,873 AF of imported water, 1,944 AF of potable groundwater, and 566 AF of
desalinated groundwater). Potable water supply is expected to be 16,600 AF by 2025
and remain at that level until at least 2040.
• Approximately 30 to 70 percent of potable water supplied by the District is pumped
groundwater from the Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basin, Santa Rosa Groundwater
Basin, Tierra Rejada Basin. A well in the eastern Pleasant Valley Basin outside the Fox
Canyon Groundwater Management Agency’s (FCGMA) jurisdictional boundary provides
the source for the Round Mountain Water Treatment Plant, a 1 million gallon per day
brackish groundwater desalination facility.
• Imported water provides supplemental water to meet demands in excess of local
potable production. The District depends exclusively on the Calleguas Municipal Water
District for its imported potable water supply.
• The District’s FCGMA annual allocation in the Pleasant Valley Basin was 806 AFY
pursuant to FCGMA Emergency Ordinance E. However, under the FCGMA’s new
allocation system implemented in October 2020, the District has an allocation of 690.04
AFY. The District has submitted a variance request to the FCGMA to increase its
allocation to 802.859 AFY. In addition, the District accrues pumping credits through the
Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program.
• The Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program has since 2014 enabled the District to
receive FCGMA pumping credits in the Pleasant Valley Basin on a one-to-one basis for each
AF of Conejo Creek surface water that the District delivers to Pleasant Valley County Water
District (PVCWD). As of December 31, 2021, the District had accumulated 27,424.37 AF
under the Conejo Creek Water Pumping Program, and exercised 477.78 AF of its
pumping credits earned under the program. There is no annual maximum on the
accumulation of credits and credits do not expire; however, the District is allowed to
pump no more than 4,500 AFY of Conejo Creek Pumping Program credits.
• The Round Mountain Water Treatment Plant produces approximately 800 AFY of
potable water, with a maximum measured production to date of 870 AFY.
• Water supply is anticipated to exceed demand until at least 2040, during normal years,
single dry years, and multiple dry years, with both supply and demand estimates
remaining relatively stable.
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• In 2009, the Camrosa Water District Board of Directors adopted a resolution to establish
a temporary moratorium on unmitigated new potable demand. In 2012, the District
made the moratorium permanent and in 2014, extended it to all water types: potable,
nonpotable, and recycled.
• The District’s current and future water supply appears to be adequate to meet current
and future demands.
Nonpotable and Recycled Water Services:
• The District has two nonpotable water distribution systems: nonpotable surface water
and recycled water. Recycled water service is limited to outdoor irrigation needs at the
CSUCI campus and irrigation on adjacent parcels. Nonpotable water, composed of
surface water from Conejo Creek and Santa Rosa Basin groundwater, is delivered within
the City of Camarillo (e.g., to landscaped street medians and landscaped areas within
the Leisure Village community) and within the unincorporated County area of Santa
Rosa Valley, where it is the main source of water for large agricultural properties, as well
as outdoor irrigation for approximately 400 homes. Nonpotable water provided by the
District originates from several sources, including groundwater and treated wastewater.
The District’s nonpotable water supplies are regulated, stored, and distributed
separately within the District’s service area, but are also blended and sold as recycled
water to the PVCWD.
• Nonpotable water generated at the District’s wastewater treatment facility, the
Camrosa Water Reclamation Facility, is delivered to CSUCI and to surrounding farmland
for irrigation purposes.
• Treated wastewater that originates from the City of Thousand Oaks’ Hill Canyon
Wastewater Treatment Plant is discharged and feeds into Conejo Creek, from where it is
diverted as nonpotable surface water and blended with groundwater. Since its
inception, the Conejo Creek Diversion Project has resulted in the diversion of
nonpotable surface water from Conejo Creek to be used for landscape and agricultural
irrigation within portions of the District’s service area and PVCWD.
• In 2019, the District completed the Camarillo Sanitary District Recycled Water
Interconnection project, which allows the District to receive surplus recycled water
provided by the Camarillo Sanitary District.
• The nonpotable water generated at the facility is delivered to CSUCI and to surrounding
farmland for irrigation purposes, and surplus is stored in the District’s storage ponds
which can accommodate 300 AFY.
• According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, total recycled water demand within the District
was 5,985 AF in 2020, averaging 6,916 AFY during the most recent five-year period.
Projected demand for nonpotable water is expected to reach 7,410 AFY by 2030 and
7,510 AFY by 2040. Nonpotable water supply during 2020 was 5,948 AF. Nonpotable
water supply is expected to be 10,200 AF by 2025 and remain at that level until at least
2040.
• According to the District’s 2020 UWMP, the District adopted a resolution in July 2001
requiring that new development projects include installation of dual water systems to
accommodate potable and nonpotable water lines to serve development projects, in
order to encourage nonpotable/recycled water to meet irrigation needs.
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• The provision of nonpotable/recycled water is exempt from Government Code § 56133;
therefore, the District is authorized to provide nonpotable water outside its boundaries.
4. Financial ability of agencies to provide services
• The District has a steady stream of revenue primarily through service fees collected
from its customers. Property taxes comprise approximately three percent of revenue.
The District has predictable expenses related to water purchases, water treatment,
wastewater treatment, and salaries and benefits.
• The District has a capital improvement plan for Fiscal Year 2021-22 of $13,521,000,
which is funded through reserves. Anticipated capital improvements include a variety of
general, potable water, and wastewater projects.
• The District has long-term debt involving water and wastewater revenue bonds totaling
$23,650,000. Bonds were obtained for rehabilitation and new capital improvement
projects.
• The District has an adopted reserve policy (most recently updated on October 18, 2021)
to ensure that it maintains adequate reserves for ongoing needs and emergencies, to
minimize the need for new debt financing, and to maintain an affordable and stable rate
structure, as specified in the District’s annual budget. Over the last three years, the
District has maintained reserves ranging between 99 percent and 114 percent of total
revenue, with the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget reflecting $21.5 million in unrestricted
reserves and $14 million in total restricted assets. Reserves are established to
accumulate funds to increase system capacity and accommodate growth, replace assets
as they reach the end of their useful life, meet unanticipated emergencies, stabilize
rates, and meet the covenants of debt issuance instruments and other agreements.
• The District’s bond rating is AA (Standard and Poor’s), which reflect that bonds issued by
the District are generally considered to be safe investments, and that the District has the
ability to fulfill its financial obligations to its bond holders.
• Based on information that the Ventura County Special Districts Association provided the
County in January 2021, the District has experienced an estimated financial impact
(including costs related to personal protective equipment, sick leave,
custodial/sanitation activities, signage, education and enforcement, childcare, and
technology) of approximately $16,000, related to the coronavirus. These costs were
covered by the operational budget.
• The District is independently audited on a regular basis. According to the District, the
most recent audit (October 19, 2021) prepared for the District was unqualified. An
unqualified report reflects fair and transparent financial statements in compliance with
generally accepted accounting principles and statutory requirements.
• The District received an Operating Budget Excellence Award from the California Society
of Municipal Finance Officers for its Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget, acknowledging the
District’s achievements in preparing a budget that conforms to the guidelines
established by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting. The District
has received this award for eight consecutive years.
• The District is financially stable, and it appears that it has the ability to finance the
services it currently provides.
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5. Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities
• Although the District operates entirely independently from the Camarillo Sanitary
District, it has the infrastructure in place and ability to discharge a portion of the
wastewater generated within its boundaries to the Camarillo Sanitary District’s
treatment facility during times of unscheduled interrupted service or maintenance
activities, or in an emergency situation.
• About half of the nonpotable water generated within the District’s boundaries from
local groundwater sources and surface water diverted from Conejo Creek is provided to
the PVCWD in exchange for groundwater pumping allocations. The District uses these
pumping credits to bolster its ability to extract groundwater.
• The District is a member of the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network
WARN (CALWARN) program (which supports and promotes statewide emergency
preparedness, disaster response, and mutual assistance processes for public and private
water and wastewater utilities in coordination with the State Office of Emergency
Services).
6. Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and
operational efficiencies
• The District is accountable to its constituents through its elected Board of Directors,
adherence to applicable government code sections, open and accessible meetings, and
dissemination of information.
• The District achieves operational and management efficiencies through participation in
an insurance pool and shared training activities offered through the Association of
California Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority (ACWA-JPIA), and
arrangements with other providers for services (e.g., the Ventura Regional Sanitation
District provides collection system cleaning services, and private contractors provide
sewer manhole rehabilitation and sewage hauling services).
• The District maintains a website that provides detailed information about its services
and operations. It contains the District’s history, summary of services, budget,
boundary map, studies and reports, contact information and roster of current Board
members, Board meeting agendas and staff reports, historical meeting minutes,
upcoming meeting information, current budget documents, and news and
announcements. The District could improve its transparency by making historical
budgets and its capital improvement plan available on the website, by posting its
enabling legislation as well as the State Controller’s “By the Numbers” (agency financial
reporting information) webpage, and by recording and archiving Board meetings to be
available on the District’s website.
• The District promotes the efficient use of water by conducting outreach to educate its
customers regarding tools and habits to improve water efficiency, presenting schools
and local events, providing tours at its facilities, and offering rebates on water-use
efficiency devices through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
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• The District adapted to the changing needs of public access as a result of the disease
caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, by providing live internet access
and public participation opportunities for its meetings.
• The Ventura County Grand Jury released a document entitled Final Report –
Independent Special Districts (April 26, 2018), which was the result of an investigation
by the Grand Jury into the transparency and public accountability of independent
special districts within the County. The Grand Jury identified opportunities for
improvement in these subject areas and required a response from the District. The
District’s response stated that expanded information is now available on the District’s
website, as a result of the report.
• The District does not have a master plan related to water or wastewater services.
However, recently completed capital improvements through Fiscal Year 2021-22 include
meter replacements and meter-reading technology improvements, a “smart cover”
sewer monitoring system, rehabilitation of the University Well that feeds the Round
Mountain Water Treatment Plant desalter, pumping improvements to expand the
delivery of local water, a groundwater monitoring well required by the District’s Waste
Discharge Requirements permit, and the repair of a substandard sewer line. Planned
capital improvements in the near term include a new groundwater well (PV Well #2) at
Woodcreek Park in Mission Oaks, a granular activated carbon treatment plant at the
Conejo Wellfield in the Santa Rosa Valley, various improvements to the efficiency and
robustness of the Camrosa Water Reclamation Facility, and the completion of the
automated meter reading system. The development of a master plan for each service
type would provide an overview of the capacity and condition of the existing system, as
well as identify areas of focus for future infrastructure maintenance and improvement
projects; to that end, the District intends to update its Strategic Plan in Fiscal Year 2021-
22 and begin to develop a master plan in FY 2022-23.
7. Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by Commission
policy
• The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014 requires the formation
of local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) for high- or medium-priority water
basins, as determined by the state. GSAs are required to evaluate local water basin
conditions and develop groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs). The purpose of a GSP is
to define sustainability for an individual basin and establish a path toward sustainability
by 2040 for high-priority basins, and 2042 for medium-priority basins. The Arroyo Santa
Rosa Groundwater Basin was originally listed as a medium-priority basin, pursuant to
the State Department of Water Resources (DWR), due to high nitrate concentrations.
The County of Ventura and the District formed the Arroyo Santa Rosa Groundwater
Sustainability Agency (ASRGSA) in 2016 to manage the portion of the basin east of the
Bailey Fault, which is outside the FCGMA’s jurisdictional area. The ASRGSA received a
Sustainable Groundwater Planning Grant from the DWR to complete a GSP. In 2018, the
Santa Rosa Basin was reprioritized as very low priority. Given the importance of the
basin’s sustainability to the District and to other pumpers in the basin (which, except for
the District, consist primarily of agricultural pumpers), the ASRGSA determined to
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continue to pursue planning efforts, and in 2021 engaged a consultant to prepare a GSP
for the entire Santa Rosa Basin, including the portion west of the Bailey Fault.
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