New Wastewater Utility Manger

Ventura Water's office will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 in recognition of the Thanksgiving Holiday. For questions call Customer Care at 805-667-6500.

Employee Recognition

Congrats to the following team members for receiving their Water Distribution Operator Certifications! Ventura Water is proud to have committed and skilled staff serving our community!

Grade 4: Andrew Fuchs

Grade 3: Jose Vasquez & Laureen Tan (not pictured)

Grade 2: Logan Hargett, Tony Gagnon, Jake Badilla

Ventura Water welcomes new Wastewater Utility Manager!

Vince Ines is an Oxnard native. In 2002, he started working for the City of Oxnard as an Operator in Training and worked his way up to Operations Manager and Chief Plant Operator where he oversaw the Oxnard Wastewater Plant & Advanced Water Purification Facility. He currently holds certifications as a Grade 5 Wastewater Treatment Operator and a Water Treatment Operator Grade 2.

Vince is a valuable addition to the Ventura Water team. In his new role, he hopes to continue to educate the community about the benefits of wastewater and recycled water.

In his free time, Vince enjoys spending time with his family and coaching his kid’s sports teams. Go Dodgers!

Water Year Summary 2019

Ventura residents continue to do an outstanding job exceeding the 20% water conservation requirement of a Stage 3 Water Shortage Event! In 2019, Ventura Water customers have conserved an average of 26% when compared to pre-drought years.

During the 2019 Water Year (October 2018 through September 2019), the City of Ventura received 20 inches of rain. Unfortunately, a single wet winter with above average rainfall does not neutralize the impacts of several consecutive years of persistent drought conditions. Before the 2019 winter rains Lake Casitas dropped as low as 30.4% (November 2018) of its capacity. Currently Casitas is at 41% capacity dwindling from this year's high of 45%. Additionally, Ventura's local water sources continue to be challenged by environmental, regulatory, operational, and legal constraints.

Each year following the rainy season staff evaluates the City’s water supply and demand while considering challenges, uncertainties and reliability associated with Ventura’s water sources through the annual Comprehensive Water Resources Report.

For more information on Ventura's Stage 3 Water Shortage Event visit here.

Rain Barrel Voucher

Now is the time to get your rain barrels ready! Ventura Water offers 50% off a select rain barrel. Print your voucher here and redeem at Smith Pipe and Supply. Available to City of Ventura residents only.

The City repurposes 200,000 gallons of water for local park landscapes

Over the next month, Ventura Water and the Parks, Recreation, and Community Partnerships (PRCP) will work together to re-purpose an estimated 200,000 gallons of water during the annual main line flushing program to irrigate City parks and trees rather than discharging water into streets and storm drains. The City’s water service area is a complex system of 380 miles of pipelines ranging from 4 inches to 36 inches in diameter. Routine maintenance is required to flush out sediment, corrosion and remove “bio–film” that adheres to pipes over time.

In recent years, the City of Ventura has taken a proactive approach to minimize water waste during mandatory waterline flushing. In 2017, Ventura Water began operating the Neutral Output Discharge Elimination System (NO-DES) unit, a state-of-the-art truck that connects to fire hydrants and circulates, filters, and puts water back into the distribution system saving millions of gallons of water.

Beginning on the Westside and moving East, the City of Ventura will be flushing at approximately 200 locations where water mains end and pose water quality challenges. Instead of running the water to waste it will be captured and transported using the City’s Urban Forestry Department’s new 4,000 gallon water truck and applied to turf and trees at Arroyo Verde Park, Camino Real Park, Barranca Vista, Chumash Park, Hobart Park, and Community Park in addition to linear park spaces and city trees.

Dear Valued Customers,

The Ventura Water staff responsible for keeping the City’s sewer system clean and flowing is a hardworking, award winning crew, known as the Collection System Team. This team works around the clock maintaining and inspecting the City’s 300+ miles of sewer lines.

This holiday season, Ventura Water and the Collection Crew have a few items to share from our wish list:

Do Not Flush Wipes. Although, a large amount of personal care products such as wipes claim to be “flushable”, none of them break down in the sewer system. Instead, they get caught in pipe joints and can clog up pumping equipment. We ask customers to dispose of these products in the trash.

No Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) down the sink. While cooking, hot grease and oil may be in liquid form. However, if poured down the drain, fats, oils and grease eventually cool and can accumulate in sewer system pipes. Be sure to pour FOG into a container such as an old coffee can and let it harden before disposing in the trash. Remember, pipes are made for liquids not solids! For more information on how to dispose of FOG visit here.

Avoid Planting Trees Near Sewer Infrastructure. Tree roots can cause major problems for the City’s sewer system and your private sewer lateral. Be sure to call the City’s Sewer Collection Team before having a plumber clear roots from your private sewer line. Ventura Water’s crew will check infrastructure downstream of your connection to ensure you do not push roots and/or debris into the City’s main sewer line.

Thank you for partnering with Ventura Water this holiday season to help protect and maintain the City’s sewer system!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,