Notice of Rate Increase
Over the course of eight public meetings and nearly a year of deliberation, the Water Commission, in partnership with City staff and a third-party financial consultant, underwent an extensive water and wastewater rate study to evaluate the City’s water rate tiers, water shortage rates, wastewater rate structure, and financing options for major projects. On May 17, 2021, after the Public Hearing for Water and Wastewater Rate Adjustments, Ventura City Council unanimously approved five-year water and wastewater rate increases.

Ventura Water is dedicated to providing reliable water services, investing in the maintenance and improvement of its vital infrastructure and equipping residents to be drought resilient. Rate increases will support both daily operation and maintenance of the City’s existing water and wastewater systems, along with approximately 36 planned capital improvement projects, including the long-anticipated State Water Interconnection Project and VenturaWaterPure Program.

A rate increase will become effective July 1, 2022 to account for increased costs to operate and maintain the water and wastewater systems. All bills after July 1, 2022 will reflect the new rates; there will be no proration between the old and new rates. For more information, reference the 2021 Cost of Service and Rate Design Study at www.venturawaterrates.net.

Irrigation Retrofit Program
Did you know outdoor irrigation can account for more than half of household water use? You can reduce outdoor water usage by taking advantage of Ventura Water's Smart Irrigation Controller retrofit program and upgrade your existing controller to a smart controller. A smart controller makes it easy to adjust watering schedules and can be set to automatically delay watering when rain or high winds are forecast. Once your application is processed, a professional will come install the unit and show you how to use it. Apply for our smart controller retrofit program here and learn more ways to conserve our precious water resources on our website.

Ventura Water extends its sincere appreciation to Ventura residents for their continued commitment to improved water efficiency as the State of California shifts towards “making water conservation a California way of life”.  
Annual Employee Recognition
Each year, it's Ventura Water’s tradition to recognize employees who have gone above and beyond their call to service and demonstrated leadership and innovative problem solving. Congratulations to the 2022 Recognition Award winners!

Hero Award: Shelli St. Clair
As a Senior Laboratory Analyst, Shelli St. Clair has been recognized as a leader among the Laboratory Team. Shelli shows great appreciation to her team and goes above and beyond to make sure that her team has all of the necessary tools and training needed to run a successful laboratory. 

Employee Choice Award: Jeremy Hanson
As Distribution Manager, Jeremy Hanson is a proven leader and mentor. Jeremy has an exceptional knowledge of the City’s water distribution system and is always willing to collaborate with his team to ensure reliable water service to customers.

Manager’s Choice Award: Nikhil Dhir
As an Associate Engineer, Nikhil has shown great leadership in coordinating land development projects on behalf of Ventura Water. Nikhil has a strong work ethic and has remained reliable through many ongoing challenges.

Team Award: Customer Care
This team seeks every opportunity to streamline processes and improve customer experience. The Customer Care Team continues to take on new tasks and responsibilities, while also meeting customer commitments and representing Ventura Water in a pleasant and professional manner.
Wastewater Treatment - Secondary Sedimentation Tanks
Last month we discussed how bacteria is utilized to treat wastewater in our aerations tanks. But what do we do with the bacteria afterward? We certainly can’t leave them in the water! That's where our secondary sedimentation tanks come into play. These tanks use gravity to separate bacteria from the treated wastewater. Bacteria in these tanks slowly sink to the bottom while the treated wastewater overflows into our next process. The bacteria is then pumped back to our aeration tanks to begin the process again.

As efficient as this system is, our bacteria cannot treat everything that is sent down the drain. Many pharmaceuticals, for example, cannot be treated with the conventional biological treatment and can end up in our environment, negatively impacting wildlife. To protect our environment never flush pharmaceuticals or medication down the drain, always think before you flush and only flush the 3 P’s- pee, poo and (toilet) paper! 

To learn more about the City's wastewater treatment process, visit our Wastewater page.
2022 Gardening Series -
Ocean Friendly Gardening Walking Tour
Join us Saturday, June 25, 2022, as we return to meeting in-person for our gardening series! This month's class on ocean friendly gardening will begin with a short lecture followed by a walking tour of nearby ocean friendly residential gardens.

Classes are free to the public and held on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Register for the Ocean Friendly Gardening class event here!
Water Commission
The public is invited to join us for the upcoming Water Commission Meeting on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this in-person meeting at the Ventura City Hall, Community Meeting Room, Second Floor.

Click here for meeting agendas and more information.