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Camarillo, Calif.—The City of Camarillo yesterday filed a reply with the California Supreme Court, pressing for immediate review of critical legal issues in ongoing groundwater litigation that directly threatens the City’s ability to provide reliable and affordable water.
At the heart of the case is a clear divide: Camarillo is seeking timely resolution of key legal questions that affect water supply and cost, while United Water Conservation District is attempting to delay that review—potentially forcing the region through many more years of costly and uncertain litigation.
The case involves the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley (OPV) groundwater basins, where the OPV Coalition—a group of large agricultural landowners—filed suit in 2021 seeking pumping allocations that Camarillo believes would come at the expense of local residents and businesses. United has aligned itself the Coalition's position in determining the amounts, and kinds, of water available in the basins.
Current rulings could dictate water access and pricing for decades. Groundwater adjudications often take 15 to 20 years to resolve. This case has already consumed five—and under United's approach, critical questions that impact public water agencies could remain unresolved for years to come.
Camarillo argues that delaying court review is not just inefficient—it is harmful. Prolonged litigation creates uncertainty, drives up costs, and puts unnecessary pressure on the residents and businesses who rely on a stable, affordable water supply. The City is urging the Court to act now to provide clarity before those impacts deepen.
“This is about protecting our community from years of avoidable uncertainty and rising costs,” said Mayor David Tennessen. “We are asking the Court to address these critical issues now. United’s position would delay that clarity and force our residents and businesses to bear the consequences of prolonged litigation. That is not responsible water management.”
In its reply, the City directly challenges United’s opposition, arguing it minimizes the real-world consequences of delay and relies on outdated groundwater modeling. Camarillo notes that United advanced its position using a model that was later acknowledged—even by United’s own expert—to be outdated, raising serious concerns about the reliability of the assumptions underlying prior rulings.
Camarillo maintains that early Supreme Court review is necessary to ensure that state groundwater management laws and water quality standards are properly applied. Waiting years to resolve these issues, the City argues, risks locking in flawed assumptions that could shape regional water policy for decades.
The outcome of this case will have lasting consequences for groundwater management in the region—and for every resident and business that depends on a reliable, affordable water supply.
Camarillo will continue to advocate for a fair and workable solution that protects the community's water future. More information on this issue can be found on the Protect Our Water page on the City’s website.
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