COUNTYWIDE : District Expected to Join in Water Study

The United Water Conservation District is expected to decide today to help fund a study of how to pipe state water into northern Ventura County.

Although the city of Ventura and the Casitas Municipal Water District already agreed to proceed with a $320,700 environmental analysis on piping their allotments of state water from the California Aqueduct, United said it would wait until cities it serves showed an interest, District General Manager Fred Gientke said in December.

Santa Paula, Fillmore, Port Hueneme and Piru would benefit if United received its proposed 5,000-acre-foot allotment of water from the State Water Project.

In addition, 5,000 acre-feet would go to Casitas and 10,000 acre-feet to Ventura.

Casitas board member Jim Coultas announced Tuesday that after months of discussions, “Casitas has worked with United and they have indicated a willingness to participate” by paying a quarter of the study’s cost. Casitas will pay the another quarter and Ventura will pay half, Coultas said.

Gientke and United board President Lynn Maulhardt could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but a report by Gientke recommends that the board participate in the study, said Jim Gross, United’s ground-water resources manager.

“It’s really a big plus this is happening,” said Al Aviles, Casitas vice president. United’s participation will add momentum to the project and reduce the amount Casitas will have to pay for the study, he said.

Casitas, United and Ventura city officials also have discussed forming a joint authority to oversee construction of the $88-million, 42-mile-long pipeline, should a decision be made to build it, Coultas said.

United is also considering bringing its share of water through the Santa Clara River at one-fifth the cost of the pipeline, Gientke has said.