Water Supply & Facilities
West Kern has a contract for 31,500 Acre-feet (AF) of surface water from the State Water Project (SWP). This represents the maximum amount West Kern can request, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) determines the amount that will actually be delivered in a given year. West Kern is required to pay for 100% of its contracted supply regardless of the amount actually delivered.
Surface water is not currently used as a direct domestic supply source. A portion of the untreated surface supply (up to 6,000 AF) is delivered directly from the California Aqueduct to an industrial customer, the balance is delivered, by agreement, to the Buena Vista Water Storage District and exchanged for a previously banked groundwater supply credited to West Kern. Banked groundwater is then recovered and delivered to customers in West Kern’s Service Area.
Through sustainable management practices, West Kern has stored enough groundwater to meet approximately 10 years of demand.
West Kern’s water supply facilities include 15 groundwater recovery wells (5 in the North Well Field and 8 in the South Well Field), 26 water storage tanks, and nearly 300 miles of pipeline that convey water to an over 300 square mile service area.
