San Juan Water District (San Juan or SJWD) is proposing to enter into an Agreement to temporarily transfer up to 6,000 acre-feet (AF) of its pre-1914 appropriative water rights water supplies, conserved pursuant to Water Code §1011, to Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD)

Numerous water conservation actions have made a portion of San Juan’s pre-1914 appropriative water supplies available for this proposed transfer.  These activities have resulted from implementation of SB X7-7, the Water Conservation Act of 2009, that required urban water purveyors to conserve 20% of their water supplies by 2020.  San Juan complied with this legislative requirement as shown in its 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, and continues to preserve its conserved water supplies for use and transfer.  San Juan is exercising its right to transfer this conserved water to SSWD pursuant to Water Code § 1011.

SSWD is a retail water supplier with no surface water supplies of its own, but it provides both surface and groundwater supplies to its urban customers by entering into agreements with surface water suppliers to enhance conjunctive management and sustainability of its groundwater aquifer.

All costs associated with the transfer will be covered by the sale.  Revenues generated above the costs will bolster San Juan-Wholesale’s balance sheet and help reduce upward pressure on future wholesale rate requirements. 

Documents describing the transfer can be found below.  The San Juan Board of Directors approved the transfer at its regular meeting on July 17, 2024.