Water Resources

​Proposed SCWA Emergency Ordinance

SCWA and all water providers are required by State law to bill customers based on usage captured by a water meter.  Currently there is a nation-wide supply shortage of water meters, which has led to houses being completed prior to the installation of a meter.  On November 15, 2022, the SCWA Board of Directors will consider an emergency ordinance that acknowledges the delay of the meter installation and creates a fee program to ensure that the meter is installed as meters become available either by the Builder or by SCWA staff or contractors.  You can read the proposed ordinance​ here.

Governor Newsom Requires Water Suppliers To Activate Drought Contingency Plans

Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) has activated Stage 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan​​ and is asking customers to avoid prohibited uses of water, fix leaks promptly, and reduce water use outdoors.​

Triggering Level 2 of these plans involves implementing water conservation actions to prepare for a water shortage level of up to 20 percent.  SCWA is now asking customers to adhere to the Governor's demand to redu​ce water usage by 20%.​  ​

**¿Qué es una alerta de sequía etapa 2?​**​​

You can read the Governor's March 2022 Executive Order.​

On May 24, 2022, the Board adopted an emergency regulation. On June 10, 2022, the emergency regulation went into effect.  ​You can find more information about the State Water Resources Control Board's Emergency regulation.

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Drought Letter

SCWA  mailed a letter to customers in August about the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) prohibiting water irrigation of non-functional turf areas at commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) facilities.  Unfortunately, the letter was mailed out to some residential properties by mistake.  If your residence received this letter, please disregard the information.  ​

The letter was intended for CII businesses with "turf that is solely ornamental and not regularly used for human recreational purposes or for civic or community events."

​For questions about the State’s CII non-functional turf irrigation ban, please refer to the State Water Board’s water conservation emergency regulations webpage​. ​

We apologize for any confusion regarding this letter. 

​Conserving Tomorrow's Water Today

SCWA Offer Ways For Customers To Save Water and Money

Learn more about SWCA's commitment on conserving tomorrow's water today through programs to ensure there is enough water in dry years.  SCWA also encourages customers to be resilient in protecting our water. 

Keep up with the latest drought updates, and learn how it affects SCWA.

When Can You Water?

Watering Schedule

Recycled water users are exempt from this watering schedule

Conjunctive Use Program - Preparing For Drought

SCWA operates a conjunctive use program in Zone 40. For SCWA the conjunctive use means relying heavily on surface water in years where there is plenty of water and more heavily on groundwater in years that are dry. Generally, SCWA takes its surface water through an intake on the Sacramento River near Freeport. That water is then treated and distributed to customers. SCWA also has an agreement with the City of Sacramento to provide some treated surface water from SCWA rights and contracts and that water is provided through a connection between the City of Sacramento and SCWA. In dry years less surface water is available and SCWA operates a system of wells and groundwater treatment plants to extract and serve groundwater.

The conjunctive use program is a balance and strategy to supply water to SCWA customers with the least adverse impact to either the river system or the groundwater aquifers. 

Storing groundwater below ground through conjunctive use is also seen as a way to lessen its evaporation and avoid building reservoirs and dams.

​Who Are We?

The Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) is dedicated to providing safe and reliable drinking water to over 58,000 homes and businesses in the following areas in Sacramento County:

• Laguna Vineyard (South Sacramento County of Sacramento)
• Mather-Sunrise
• Arden Park-Sierra Oaks
• Hood
• Northgate
  
• Southwest Tract

SCWA Services

• Planning:​ Planning activities are generally determined by growth decisions made by local land use authorities (the cities of Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova and the County of Sacramento) and are focused on identifying and developing long-term water supplies for these development areas. Meeting these long-term needs is accomplished through the development of water supply master plans for Zones 40 and 50, the Zone 40 Water System Infrastructure Plan, and the Zone 41 Urban Water Management Plan. Planning is also responsible for reviewing and conditioning development proposals to ensure compliance with the latest water supply planning requirements and development of Water Supply Assessments and Written
• Development: Development is responsible for the review of civil and landscape improvement plans and for negotiations with developers to construct water transmission mains, distribution mains, raw water mains, and recycled water mains as part of development projects. Additionally Development staff is responsible for securing sites for wells, treatment plants, and storage facilities in conformance with the water supply master plan, improvement standards, and entitlement conditions, and to provide cost effective facilities that are designed for ease of operation and maintenance. Development is also responsible for initiating and administering developer reimbursement agreements and overseeing the construction phase of transmission main projects that move forward as part of private development projects. Additionally, Development staff is responsible for the review of encroachments that impact SCWA and FRWA water facilities. Development also provides engineering support services for FRWA for the design and construction phase of such projects.
• Facilities Design: The Water Supply Design Section is responsible for the design and construction of surface and groundwater production, treatment, storage, and delivery systems for Sacramento County Water Agency and other County-owned water systems to maintain adequate system reliability and to ensure the health and safety of our water customers.
• Operations and Management: Water Supply Engineering and Regulatory is responsible for regulatory compliance of the groundwater system and some components of the surface water system, engineering support to assure delivery of a safe and reliable water supply to existing customers of SCWA and County-owned water systems, and asset management determining long term maintenance and financial health of its public water systems. Staff also provides support for non-routine questions and projects that arise from the County Board of Supervisors and other Departments needing expertise on public water system related topics.
• Groundwater Management: Participates with other local entities in groundwater management efforts in the four groundwater sub-basins within Sacramento County. 

SCWA Service Area

There are more than twenty​ water providers in Sacramento County.  If you are not sure whether you are a SCWA customer, you can take a look at the SCWA service areas.  If SCWA is not your service provider, find your water provider wit​h this easy to use tool.

Water Supply SCWA Zones

Sacramento County Water Agency was formed in 1952 by a special legislative act of the State of California.  The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors was designated to act as the ex-officio governing body or Board of Directors for SCWA.  The Water Agency Act empowers the Board of Directors to create geographic zones with specific projects and benefits.  Currently SCWA has eight zones:

• Zone 13 was created by the Water Agency Board of Directors on May 5, 1987 to fund comprehensive long-range planning and engineering studies of flood control, water resources development, water supply management and water conservation beneficial to the Zone. Zone 13 includes all of Sacramento County excepting the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Galt and Isleton, and its activities are funded by an annual per-parcel assessment on all real property within the Zone.
• Zone 40 was created by the Water Agency Board of Directors on May 14, 1985 pursuant to Resolution No. 663 to fund the planning, design, and construction of major water supply facilities that benefit the Zone. Zone 40 revenue is provided from water development fees collected at the time of development and from Special User Fees included in bi-monthly water customer utility charges.

Calvin​ Meadows Water Treatment Storage Tank

• Zone 41 was created by the Water Agency Board of Directors on June 13, 2000 pursuant to Resolution WA-2397, and constituted a reorganization of the Sacramento County Water Maintenance District. Zone 41 funds the operation and maintenance of a public drinking water system that includes water production, treatment, storage and distribution facilities, pursuant to permits issued by the California Department of Health Services. Revenue to fund Zone 41 activities is provided by utility charges, connection permit fees, construction water permits, and grants-all of which fund Water Supply Capital Facilities Design and Water Supply Facilities Operations and Administration.  Zone 41 also provides wholesale water supply to the Elk Grove Water Service pursuant to the First Amended And Restated Master Water Agreement Between Sacramento County Water Agency And Florin Resources Conservation District/Elk Grove Water Service, June 28, 2002.
• Zone 50 was created by the Water Agency Board of Directors on June 1, 2004 pursuant to Resolution WA-2542. Zone 50 encompasses the Metro Air Park Special Planning Area, a commercial and industrial development adjacent to the Sacramento International Airport. Zone 50 funds certain capital facilities required to provide water supply to the Zone, as described in the Zone 50 Water Supply Master Plan adopted on October 25, 2005; Zone 50 revenue is provided from water development fees. Water for the Zone is purchased from the City of Sacramento pursuant to an October 12, 2004 Wholesale And/or Wheeling Water Service Agreement.
• View the rates for Residential - Commercial Drainage and Water Fees

How Does Water Move Through California?

California's Water Supply: A State Department of Water Resources Aerial Tour

The video below shows how the 444-mile long California Aqueduct transports water from the Feather River in Northern California to the Central Valley, South Bay Area and Southern California.