By Former Mayor Christy Weir –
Christy Weir is a former Ventura mayor and councilmember and has been a leader of many local historical, cultural and environmental efforts.
I recently attended a presentation on Ventura’s water and wastewater systems at the Downtown Ventura Partners meeting, and it underscored something I have seen throughout my years of public service: much of our city’s infrastructure is deteriorating and in need of repair and upgrades, and the cost of inaction rises every year. Ventura’s water systems protect our health, our local economy, and our overall quality of life. When we delay major repairs or upgrades, the price of fixing these problems becomes higher for everyone in the years ahead.
As someone who served on the City Council during several major water policy decisions, I know firsthand how difficult these choices can be. Ventura is now considering water and wastewater rate adjustments to repair failing infrastructure, meet legal requirements, and secure a more dependable, sustainable water supply for decades to come. These investments are necessary and in the long-term interest of our residents and businesses.
Ventura is unique in California. We rely entirely on local water from our groundwater basins, the Ventura River, and Lake Casitas. These supplies are no longer as reliable as they once were and are more vulnerable to droughts. Scientists project more frequent multi-year droughts, hotter temperatures, and bigger swings between wet and dry years across the Central Coast. Last month’s storms helped temporarily, but the long-term trend is clear: we need a water supply that is steady year after year, even when nature is unpredictable. Conservation remains important, but conservation alone cannot close the gap.
That is why VenturaWaterPure, the City’s purified recycled water program, is such a critical part of our water future. Instead of sending treated wastewater to the Santa Clara River Estuary, the water will be purified using proven advanced purification technology, then safely injected into the groundwater basin. There, it blends naturally with other groundwater before being pumped, treated again, and delivered to homes and businesses. This process, known as indirect potable reuse, speeds up the natural water cycle, producing water that meets or exceeds all state and federal safety standards. VenturaWaterPure will be the first major new water supply investment for the City since the creation of Lake Casitas in the 1950s, and it will benefit generations of Venturans.
At the same time, our wastewater treatment plant is nearly 70 years old and showing significant structural failures. Critical treatment equipment is deteriorating and must be replaced. The City is also legally required to reduce treated wastewater discharges to the Santa Clara River Estuary to protect sensitive wildlife and honor tribal commitments. These investments are not optional; they are essential for public health, environmental stewardship, and legal compliance.
Ventura is not alone. Cities along the Central Coast and statewide are confronting the same challenges: aging facilities, tighter environmental regulations, growing climate pressures, and rising costs. What sets communities apart is how they choose to respond – whether they invest early and thoughtfully or wait until emergency failures force action at a far higher cost.
For Ventura, three major projects drive the need for updated rates: the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Project to modernize our wastewater treatment plant, the State Water Interconnection Project to give access to an additional supply during dry years, and VenturaWaterPure to create a new drinking water source that is not dependent on rainfall. These projects strengthen reliability, reduce long-term risks, and support better tasting, higher quality water for our community.
The City has already secured more than $110 million in grants and $170 million in low-interest loans to reduce the burden on ratepayers, but stable rate revenue is still required to complete these projects and maintain essential infrastructure. Every dollar collected goes directly back into Ventura’s water and wastewater services. Ventura Water is a not-for-profit public utility, and customer payments support day-to-day operations, maintenance, system repairs, and long-term investments. For those residents who need financial support managing their water and wastewater bill, the City is expanding customer assistance programs so more households can access help.
Through facility tours, public presentations, community meetings, and online resources, Ventura Water is working to provide full transparency, so residents can clearly see where their dollars go and why these investments matter.
The proposed rate adjustments will help Ventura upgrade critical infrastructure, meet environmental obligations, and secure a local, reliable water supply for decades to come.
I urge all residents to stay informed, participate in the process, and support these essential investments in Ventura’s future.
City Proposes Significant Water and Wastewater Rate Increases
