imported water

Water delivered to Sweetwater Authority consumers is obtained from a variety of sources. Our customers can reliably expect to receive 70 percent of their water from local supplies. The remainder, about 30 percent, is obtained from imported water sources. It is transported by massive aqueduct systems from the Colorado River, 242 miles away, or the State Water Project, which carries water about 700 miles from the Sierra-Nevada Mountains through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. In emergency conditions, Sweetwater Authority customers can receive 100 percent of their water from this system. In normal conditions, most of San Diego County receives about 90 percent of its water from the imported water system.

Wholesale Imported Water Cost
per acre foot, from San Diego County Water Authority
Raw water (1/06)
$425-488
Treated water (1/06)
$547-610

California Aqueduct, State Water Project