Carpinteria valley water DISTRICT (DISTRICT) is proposing to construct an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) compatible well to replace the failing smillie well, located at the intersection of…

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded Carpinteria Valley Water District $5.798 million on February 5, 2026, under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program (CFDA 15.514) for construction of an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) compatible well to replace the failing Smillie Well in Carpinteria, California.

The project includes demolition of the existing well site at the intersection of Lillingston Canyon Road and Casitas Pass Road, construction of a new ASR-capable production well, permitting of the new well for ASR operations, site development to equip the facility for well extraction and injection, and conversion of the existing Smillie Well to a monitoring well. The new well is designed to produce up to 1,000 acre-feet per year (900 gallons per minute) and inject up to 500 acre-feet per year during wet periods for storage and use during dry periods. The project increases the District's reliable production wells from two to three and expands monthly production capacity by 27 percent, enabling the District to meet customer demand during a Stage 2 drought solely from groundwater if necessary.

Work is performed in California with a period of performance through December 31, 2027. The Carpinteria Groundwater Basin was designated a high-priority basin under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2019, and the Basin's Groundwater Sustainability Plan identifies ASR wells as a critical tool to address groundwater overdraft and reduce seawater intrusion risk.

Carpinteria valley water DISTRICT (DISTRICT) is proposing to construct an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) compatible well to replace the failing smillie well, located at the intersection of lillingston canyon road and casitas pass road. The proposed project will include demolition of the existing well site, construction of an ASR capable replacement well, permitting of the new well for ASR operations, and development of the site to equip the facility for well extraction and injection. The existing smillie well will be converted to a monitoring well.ASR wells provide the DISTRICT with the option to store water in the carpinteria groundwater BASIN (BASIN) during wet periods for use in dry periods. The well could inject up to 500 acre-feet per year (AFY). The well will also increase the districts reliable number of production wells from 2 to 3 and provide much-needed production capacity. The existing smillie well can only produce 240 AFY while the new well is expected to produce up to 1,000 AFY (900 GPM), which would increase the districts monthly well production capacity by 27%. The DISTRICT would be able to meet customer demand during a stage 2 drought solely from groundwater, if necessary. The carpinteria groundwater BASIN was designated by california department of water resources (DWR) as a high priority BASIN under the sustainable groundwater management act (SGMA) in 2019. The BASIN groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) identifies groundwater overdraft during extended droughts as the primary risk for the BASIN. The GSP identified several projects or management actions to address the issue, including implementation of ASR wells to store water during wet years for use during dry years and pumping redistribution to reduce the risk of seawater intrusion. The development of ASR wells would provide a means to recharge the groundwater BASIN more quickly than other methods. Redistribution of pumping was identified as moving pumping away from the coast so that water levels would remain stable at the coast and reduce movement of seawater into the BASIN. The smillie well is currently the municipal well furthest from the coast.