New water pump going up in downtown
Goal is to store water for dry times
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers KEEP THE TAPS FLOWING- Construction is underway to build a pumping station on Spring Road south of Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark.

A pumping station under construction on a 1.8acre site at the bottom of Spring Road, west of Los Angeles Avenue in the heart of Moorpark, will help keep the taps flowing during emergencies and when droughts occur.

The facility will draw water out of the Las Posas Basin Aquifer located along Grimes Canyon Road near Moorpark. It is linked to the pipeline project that was built along Los Angeles Avenue in 200405.

The Calleguas Municipal Water District, in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has been injecting excess water into the aquifer to ensure a continuous supply is available for residential and commercial use in Ventura County.

So far the water agency has stored about 80,000 acre-feet of water into the local wells, equaling an eight-month backup supply. An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre of land at a depth of one foot and is equal to approximately 325,850 gallons of water.

Ultimately, Calleguas plans to store about 300,000 acre-feet of water. That could sustain the area for two years if needed, said Eric Bergh, spokesperson for Calleguas.

Surface water sources are affected by seasonal changes and cyclical periods of drought. The delivery of water from Northern California and other regions can also be threatened by earthquakes or levee failures. The pipelines that bring water to Ventura County are also in some of the most active earthquake areas in the state, according to Calleguas.

The local underground water reserves will provide a reliable year-round supply to maintain the economic health of Ventura County, said Bergh.

Construction of the Moorpark water pumping station began in May this year, and it will be completed by the end 2008.

"Without it we have little capacity to move water from storage to other areas," according to Bergh.

Since the facility is located in the center of town, it was designed to be harmonious with the surrounding residential and commercial developments, said Bergh.

"Calleguas closely coordinated design of the facility with the city of Moorpark," he said.