SANTA PAULA : City to Ask Ventura to Seek State Water

Santa Paula officials, fearing their city will not have enough water should the drought continue, decided Monday to ask Ventura to reconsider a decision not to request state water.

Part of that state water could be used to replenish ground water in the Santa Clara Basin, of which Santa Paula is a part, the officials said.

At a meeting two weeks ago, the Ventura City Council voted not to order 10,000 acre-feet of water from the State Water Project. Santa Paula will draft a letter asking that Ventura reconsider that action, Public Works Director Norman Wilkinson said.

The Santa Paula City Council also will authorize a letter asking its public water district to pick up the tab for the water, Wilkinson said.

Santa Paula gets its water from reservoirs and underground aquifers and from State Water Project supplies released from dams in the upper reaches of the Santa Clara River Valley.

Ventura can reserve state water by applying now, Wilkinson said. Such an order can be canceled if sufficient rainfall makes delivery unnecessary, he said.

Santa Paula is recommending that Ventura order at least part of its allocation.