Playing Our Part in Water Conservation

Kirk Lagerquist

Chief Staff Officer, US Navy
VCLA Cohort XXVII

We recently completed our fourth session of VCLA in early December 2021, where we focused on Water, Utilities and the Environment.  I found the day to be quite fascinating, particularly the water, refuse and utilities portions.  As a career Civil Engineer Corps officer, I have primarily dealt with public works and facilities.

I ran my own water plant in Djibouti, Africa, so the water rights presentation as well as the tour of the Calleguas Water Plant was of particular interest. I found the history of water rights and the past 20 years of seesawing between drought and sufficient snow melt to be fascinating. While the earth is 70% water, the amount of fresh water, particularly serving California, is insufficient to maintain farming, industry and the population. Climate change certainly has an effect on the amount of snow the Sierra Nevadas receive each winter, which in turn becomes the melt and runoff necessary to sustain life downstream. So while conservation is a must for all citizens in order to protect this precious, life sustaining commodity, there are other options being explored to continue to meet the water demands. I know that Oxnard has an advanced water treatment facility, which takes the effluent from the waste water treatment plant and treats it to be reused for agriculture and to resupply the aquifer. Additionally, at NBVC, we are partnering with United Water to develop a brackish water treatment plant, which will provide an alternate source of potable water, plus the added benefit of protecting the aquifer from seawater intrusion. Lastly, I know that saltwater treatment has been tested and is in use around the country and world. While not employed in Ventura County yet, it is a viable option that needs further refinement to bring down costs.

In summary, the three watersheds of Ventura County, which include the Ventura River, Santa Clara River and Calleguas Creek all serve to sustain the citizens. We all play an important role in conserving water, and while our future is uncertain on the drought cycle, various water agencies are hard at work to identity, protect, and expand opportunities to provide clean, potable water to the county.