Domestic Water

Drinking Water
Coachella Valley Water District first began providing drinking water to residents in 1961, when it took over the operations of 2 privately held water companies. At the time, it served only 1,100 active water meters.

Today, the District is the largest drinking water provider in the Coachella Valley. It operates more than 92 active wells with a total well pumping capacity of 232 million gallons per day, serving a population of 270,000. Daily demand for drinking water averages 80.4 million gallons. The District delivers about 90,000 acre-feet of water annually to its 1,000 square mile service area, from Desert Hot Springs to Salton Sea communities.

Drinking or domestic water comes from the Coachella Valley's aquifer. This water is pumped from wells up to 1,300 feet deep and stored until needed in more than 68 distribution reservoirs with a storage capacity of 174.2 million gallons daily. From there, it is delivered to approximately 114,700 homes and businesses through a network of nearly 2,075 miles of distribution piping.

Rates
Domestic rates paid by customers offset the costs of providing customer service, operating wells and reservoirs, maintaining pipelines, and replenishing the aquifer. As a special district in California, CVWD cannot profit from water rates. California Proposition 218 requires that water rates be fair and equitable and that public agencies follow specific procedures when proposing rate increases to protect ratepayers. This includes advance notices and an explanation of rate changes through a public hearing process.

Delivery to customers
Groundwater pumped from the aquifer and delivered to customers requires little to no treatment to meet state and federal water quality standards. Throughout most of the Coachella Valley, only a tiny amount of chlorine is added as a precautionary measure to ensure compliance with drinking water regulations—the sand and gravel in the aquifer act as a large-scale natural filter. 

Water Quality Testing
CVWD employees monitor and collect more than 17,000 water samples and test for more than 100 regulated and unregulated substances at its state-certified water quality laboratory and elsewhere. Results from these water quality tests are mailed to all customers each June as part of CVWD's annual reports. Visit the Water Quality page to learn more.  

Water Use & Conservation
All residential customers and some large-scale landscapes use pumped groundwater for all outdoor irrigation. Nearly 70% of all water used by CVWD domestic customers is used in their yards and gardens. For this reason, outdoor water conservation is the focus of CVWD's public outreach programs.

CVWD has spent the past century working to maintain the integrity of the local groundwater basin while importing enough water to meet the needs of current and future customers. We are all responsible for reducing our water footprint for a sustainable future. 

The Sustainable Groundwater Management annual report shows an increase in valley groundwater levels. The report has identified the following three initiatives by CVWD that have been most effective in improving groundwater conditions in some previously over-drafted areas.

• Colorado River water use through the Mid-Valley Pipeline project since 2006 to reduce groundwater pumping.
• Budget-based, tiered water rates have been in place since 2009 and have contributed to conservation. Every customer is assigned a water budget, your tier 2 outdoor water budget. 
•  Aquifer replenishment at the four facilities.

 What You Can Do

• Reduce your household’s outdoor water usage. The most common causes of water waste are overwatering yards and gardens. CVWD offers several landscape rebates, such as a smart controller discount, an irrigation guide, and lawn conversion tips.
• Stop the leaks. A sudden spike in your water bill often indicates a leak inside your home or in your outdoor irrigation system. Leaks can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day. Read CVWD’s Water Wise at Home Guide (PDF) for help finding leaks.
• Learn more about CVWD’s conservation programs. Attend an upcoming workshop or check if you qualify for a landscape rebate.

For more up-to-date information regarding CVWD Domestic Water Services, check out our Fact Sheet (English / Spanish).